Along with his success at the plate, Andy Pages has received plenty of praise for his defensive work in center field this year.
After making several impressive catches over the weekend, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts discussed the progress Pages has made with his glove and arm.
“No. 1, I think his body has changed over a few years,” Roberts began. “I think his intent to become a really, really good defender in center field, he’s valued it. He’s put in the work.
“If you look at center fielders in the big leagues, both sides of the ball, he’s got to be top three or four. And just as far as the defense part of it, he takes real pride in it. That’s something that a lot of young players don’t get there, or they get there late. They care about their hitting more.
“Andy values the defense.”
Pages struggled at times in center field over his first two seasons with the Dodgers, but there was never a point where Roberts felt he couldn’t stick at the position.
“I believed in him,” Roberts said. “The thing is, I know we challenged him when he was scuffling, what’s going to keep you in the big leagues is to go out there and play good defense. He took that to heart.”
Roberts previously raved about Pages’ maturation and believes that has helped him become a better center fielder along with feeling more comfortable around the team.
“It’s a combo. It’s both,” Roberts said. “You have to be comfortable. It takes time. But the maturing and realizing what’s important, what will keep you here, what will help you succeed in the big leagues, that’s the maturing part. He’s doing great.”
Andy Pages’ 2026 stats
Through the first seven weeks of the regular season, Pages ranks second among qualified center fielders in defensive runs saved (12) and Statcast Fielding Run Value (6), trailing only the Chicago Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong in both categories.
Pages has started 47 of the Dodgers’ 48 games in center field, committing no errors in 411 defensive innings thus far. He is the only center fielder with at least 400 defensive innings to not make an error.
As for his offensive performance, Pages is hitting an excellent .299/.351/.514 with eight doubles, 10 home runs, 41 RBI and six stolen bases across 48 games entering play Tuesday. He is currently tied with the Kansas City Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. for the most wins above replacement (Baseball-Reference) at 3.3.
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