Photo: Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire

Pitcher defense is one of those things where it’s hard to gauge if your team is doing well or doing poorly just based on the eye test. That’s where something like Defensive Runs Saved comes in handy.

Let’s use the 2024 and 2025 Yankees as an example. This year, their pitchers are doing well, leading the majors with 11 Runs Saved. Last year, they did poorly, finishing with -9 Runs Saved. Only five teams fared worse.

Their pitchers have been as valuable as almost any defensive unit in MLB.

Most Defensive Runs Saved – Position Group in 2025

So what does “doing well” in pitcher defense look like?

It’s a mix of this

This

And this

The two pitchers in those videos are a big part of the turnaround. Offseason signee Max Fried‘s 4 Runs Saved are tied for the MLB lead. Reliever Tim Hill somehow ranks 9th among pitchers with 10 assists despite ranking tied for 235th in innings pitched.

Fried is a baserunning eraser. He has 3 pickoffs and 3 pitcher caught stealings. Add that to 9 assists on batted balls and his 15 assists are the most in MLB entering Tuesday and only 3 shy of the most by a Yankees pitcher in 2024.

The Yankees lead the majors in pitcher assists as well, as yes, part of the Yankees success is in their pitchers having had the most opportunities to make plays. They’ve done this without an abundance of mistakes. Their 6 Defensive Misplays & Errors rank tied for 10th in MLB. And it’s not just Fried and Hill. Their other pitchers have combined for 4 Runs Saved between them.

Another component to the Yankees defensive numbers is attrition- the Yankees had 6 pitchers who finished the season with -2 Runs Saved apiece in 2024- Gerrit Cole, Marcus Stroman, Dennis Santana, Phil Bickford, Tom Kahnle, and Clay Holmes. That’s six pitchers combining for -12 Runs Saved. The only one of those to throw a pitch for the Yankees in 2025 is Stroman and he’s pitched only 9 innings.

The payoff for good pitcher defense is this: The Yankees rank tied for 5th in the majors overall in Defensive Runs Saved. No one wanted to talk about the Yankees’ defense after the disastrous end to the 2024 World Series, but with their pitching staff’s help there hasn’t been a carryover effect this season.

Most Defensive Runs Saved – 2025 Season