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Doug Glanville, ESPN MLB analyst 10y

Rajai Davis' challenges in center field

MLB

Over the past few postseasons, the Tigers had Austin Jackson in center field. Whether he hit or not, he was an asset to their pitching staff. So this year, when they traded Jackson, questions arose about whether they would miss his defense in center. But Rajai Davis should be able to hold down the position in October. They can win with the speedy Davis. He just has to continue to adjust to being in the middle, not in one of the corner spots.

Some of Davis' challenges came to light over back-to-back games earlier this month. On Sept. 15 against the Twins, he made a nice backhand diving play that took timing and good glove control. But the next night against the same Twins team, his speed got him in trouble. He chased a slicing ball and ended up too close to the wall and not close enough to the ball. It ricocheted into the first career triple for Kennys Vargas.

Before a game this summer, I spoke with Torii Hunter about the adjustments Davis needed to make to play center. Hunter knows about logging time in center and in a corner outfield spot. He was the sage corner outfielder while Jackson was holding down center. When comparing Davis and Jackson, Hunter told me: "They are different outfielders. Jackson is a pure center fielder. Davis has the speed, yet with the approach of a corner outfielder. He just has to continue making the adjustments to compliment that speed."

But what is a pure center fielder?

Other than Rick Porcello, the Tigers' rotation mostly lives in the air. They've got fly-ball pitchers who can also strike out hitters. This speaks to why it's important for them to have solid outfield defense.

Many others besides Hunter have described Jackson as a "pure center fielder." In other words, Jackson has been a lifelong center fielder who has a skill set and mentality specifically suited for it. He leads as the captain of the outfield, unapologetic about potentially stepping on a corner outfielder to get to a ball. Even one as wise and as legendary as Hunter.

A pure center fielder is also precise. With all of the ground a center fielder must cover, mistakes can grow exponentially. The wrong angle can send you into no man's land. The speed needed to play center can also make bad angles become even bigger mistakes because you are now headed in the wrong direction at a faster clip. The faster you are, the farther you will go in the wrong direction if you are not careful. This is one area that Davis needs to refine.

Pure center fielders are precision sprinters: They're calculating, exact, direct and imposing. They also see the future. When a ball is hit off the bat and they make their first calculation, they don't even really need to see the ball again until they are catching it. Ballistics, knowledge of trajectories, sound, the swing, the pitcher, the wind, they all tell the story before the story is told. He then can run to a spot and know that the ball will be in that zone. He only needs to see the ball off of the bat and when it is coming down.

Then the athlete takes over. The first step, the route, and the flat-out speed all help run the ball down as if it were almost standing still.

This is the pure center fielder, and Davis is now learning center field through that lens. He must suppress the instincts of a corner outfielder -- the instinct to wait back, or backup the play. He must do the calling off, not be called off. And this is maybe one of the biggest adjustments of all: He must be wholly accountable for positioning and in-game decisions. The center fielder must move his corner outfielders or look in the dugout and relay a coach's call. He must be loud enough to be heard over the crowd and make sure that his corner outfielders are checking with him at all times.

In that monstrous outfield of Comerica Park, you have to catch the ball and play precision outfield defense, because every wrong move is at least a double. As a center fielder, a mistake is probably a triple. J.D. Martinez is a pure bat in left field who needs strong center-field support. Hunter is now entrenched as a corner outfielder, so Davis (and Ezequiel Carrera sometimes against right-handed pitchers) must be ready to cover it all, which is the job of the center fielder.

"Davis is doing a good job, making adjustments," Hunter said. "It is tough following up a pure center fielder in Austin Jackson. Outfielders used to playing the corners initially get in trouble with their glove positioning. They are used to playing the ball to an obvious side, but in center field, you have to choose, and when it is unfamiliar, you can end up blocking your vision by running with the glove out to one side. Wait, get to your spot, then get your glove out there. You have time."

Davis has the pure speed and the coaching from Hunter and others to make it work in center. His team looks to go deep into the postseason and he has a new job description in the desolate outfield of Comerica Park. There's no time for class -- he must pass the test now.

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