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Category: 2025 MLB

  • Stat of the Week: 10 Seasons Of Strike Zone Runs Saved Part II

    Stat of the Week: 10 Seasons Of Strike Zone Runs Saved Part II

    Last week we looked back at 10 seasons of data for our pitch-framing stat, Strike Zone Runs Saved, which puts a run value on the result of taken pitches, and we looked at which catchers have fared best and worst in those measurements.

    One of the neat things about Strike Zone Runs Saved (SZRS) is its flexibility. It can also be used to evaluate hitters, pitchers, and umpires. We can see which batters and pitchers are getting more or fewer called strikes than expected. We can also see which umpires are calling more or fewer strikes than expected. 

    Batters

    Batters With Most Extra Called Strikes, 2015-2024 (minimum 5 seasons)

    SZRS per season
    Xander Bogaerts 1.0
    Curtis Granderson 0.9
    Wilmer Flores 0.9
    Alcides Escobar 0.9
    Luis Garcia Jr. 0.8

    Batters With Most Extra Called Balls 2015-2024 (minimum 5 Seasons)

    SZRS per season
    Rhys Hoskins -1.5
    Bryce Harper -1.4
    Charlie Blackmon -1.4
    Ryan McMahon -1.3
    Carlos Santana -1.3

    What these tables are showing is that Xander Bogaerts is getting more called strikes against him than he should be (and the most above what he should be of any hitter in the majors in the last 10 seasons). Rhys Hoskins and Bryce Harper are at the other end of the spectrum. They get a more favorably called strike zone than other hitters.

    The scale for batters isn’t mind-blowing, just a run per season at the extremes. And that’s not shocking, considering there isn’t some obvious direct mechanism by which the batter might influence a strike call, other than maybe how close he stands to the plate. 

    However, there does seem to be some kind of a reputation effect at play. You don’t see it as clearly in the top five, but here are the top 20 in each group:

    • Extra strikes: Xander Bogaerts, Curtis Granderson, Wilmer Flores, Alcides Escobar, Luis Garcia Jr., Carlos Correa, Nomar Mazara, Thairo Estrada, Ian Kinsler, Yolmer Sanchez, Mark Canha, Joey Wendle, Logan Forsythe, Isaac Paredes, Brock Holt, Jorge Polanco, Eloy Jimenez, Donovan Solano, Hunter Pence, Domingo Santana
    • Extra balls: Rhys Hoskins, Bryce Harper, Charlie Blackmon, Ryan McMahon, Carlos Santana, Russell Martin, J.P. Crawford, Jed Lowrie, Dustin Pedroia, Cody Bellinger, Freddie Freeman, Yasmani Grandal, Yadier Molina, Nathaniel Lowe, Buster Posey, Carlos Gonzalez, Corey Seager, Shohei Ohtani, Joey Votto, Yonder Alonso

    There are several MVPs and a few near-misses in the hitter-friendly group, and none in the pitcher-friendly group. That seems unlikely to be a coincidence. 

    It’s also notable that there are four catchers in the hitter-friendly group and none in the pitcher-friendly group. At a more macro level, only one player who had at least five years at catcher in the last 10 had more than a quarter of a run per season go against him (Ryan Jeffers). There were 19 catchers on the positive side of that.  

    You often hear about catchers not wanting to get into a tiff with an umpire when they’re batting because they want to get good calls as a catcher, but they seem to get a little bit of favoritism regardless.

    Pitchers

    Pitchers With Extra Called Strikes, 2015-24 (minimum 5 seasons)

    SZRS per season
    Jon Lester 1.6
    Gio Gonzalez 1.2
    Masahiro Tanaka 1.1
    Clayton Kershaw 1.1
    Steven Wright 1.0

    Pitchers With Fewer Called Strikes, 2015-2024 (minimum 5 seasons)

    SZRS per season
    Framber Valdez -1.4
    Zack Wheeler -1.2
    Yusei Kikuchi -0.9
    Eric Lauer -0.7
    Jake Arrieta -0.7

    For those who have believed that Clayton Kershaw gets strike calls because he’s Clayton Kershaw, perhaps his inclusion on the list adds a little something to that belief. He’s among the pitchers who have gotten more calls than expected. That Framber Valdez and Zack Wheeler are still succeeding in spite of having arguably the least pitcher-friendly strike zone is illustrative of their reliance on ground balls and missed swings, respectively.

    We’re not sure what to otherwise make of these lists other than that the strike zone is tighter for current pitchers. The calculation of Strike Zone Runs Saved uses a rolling two-year window, so slight changes to rules are accounted for, but it isn’t going to move immediately when guidelines change.

    Umpires

    More Called Strikes Than Expected (2015-2024, Minimum 5 Seasons)

    SZRS per season
    Doug Eddings 11.7
    Bill Miller 9.5
    Lance Barrett 6.2
    Phil Cuzzi 6.0
    Mike Estabrook 5.3

    Fewer Called Strikes Than Expected (2015-2024, Minimum 5 Seasons)

    SZRS per season
    Alfonso Márquez -6.7
    Edwin Moscoso -6.2
    Mark Wegner -5.3
    Carlos Torres -5.2
    Tom Woodring -4.6

    As we’ve previously noted in Stat of the Week, Doug Eddings and Bill Miller have and have had the most pitcher-friendly strike zones in baseball. They’ve largely gone unchanged over the years. Lance Barrett, Phil Cuzzi, and Mike Estabrook are all big strike zone umpires, though they don’t occupy the same ballpark as Eddings and Miller.

    At the opposite end of things are the umpires with the most hitter-friendly strike zones in baseball. Alfonso Márquez has been known to have a smaller strike zone than most of his peers for years. The spread among the five umpires listed above with the most hitter-friendly zones isn’t as vast as the gap between Eddings, Miller, and their fellow umpires.

    One other note about Eddings, Miller, and Márquez is that though these numbers indicate they favor either the pitcher or hitter more than any other umpires, this does not seem to have impacted how they are viewed by the MLB office. They each been given prominent postseason assignments the last few years. Miller and Márquez worked the 2023 World Series. Eddings was on the World Series crew in 2024.

  • 2025 NL Team Defensive Storylines  

    2025 NL Team Defensive Storylines  

     Photo: Cliff Welch (left) and Larry Radloff (right)/Icon Sportswire 

    Over on our website, we spent two weeks looking at the defensive strengths and weaknesses of all 30 MLB teams heading into 2025. That makes our look at the top defensive storyline for each team heading into the season easier to do. 

    We did the American League last week and now this week, we’ll touch on the National League. Click the links to read the article for each team (some things may be slightly outdated).

    Braves – The Braves are pretty good to very good at the corner infield spots and center field. The questions will be at the corner outfield spots where Jurickson Profar (-19 Runs Saved in left the last two seasons) and Ronald Acuña Jr. (-11 Runs Saved in right field the last three seasons) are going to be challenged.

    Brewers – This should be one of the best defensive teams in the NL. They can put three standout outfielders on the field at any time. Joey Ortiz, a good defender, moves from third base to shortstop to replace Willy Adames, who ranked last in the majors in Runs Saved at the position last season.

    Cardinals – A couple of concerns: Willson Contreras moves to first base, where he’s played 11 MLB games in his career and hasn’t played since 2019. The full-time catcher, Ivan Herrera, threw out 2-of-57 would be basestealers last season.

    Cubs – You could make a case for the Cubs having MLB’s best defense this season. One intriguing thing could be how Kyle Tucker handles the wind playing right field at Wrigley Field. Tucker’s Runs Saved the last few seasons have been boosted by home run robberies at Minute Maid Park. He won’t be able to do that at Wrigley.

    Diamondbacks – The Diamondbacks are good up the middle but weaker at the corners. Josh Naylor replacing Christian Walker at first base represents a 13-run defensive downgrade (Walker had 7 Runs Saved in 2024, Naylor had -6). Third baseman Eugenio Suárez, though never terrible at third base, has not finished a season with positive Runs Saved in the last seven years.

    Dodgers – The biggest question would be how much this team’s defense gets bitten by the aging curve. Their projected starting lineup on FanGraphs features six position players 30 or older and another starter who’s about to be (Tommy Edman). Plus everyone on the bench is over 30 too. We’ll see how the team’s positioning masterminds handle potentially declining skills.

    Giants – How does shortstop Willy Adames handle the pressure of a big contract and recover from a 2024 season in which he ranked last among shortstops in Defensive Runs Saved? That and Jung-Hoo Lee in center field are the two big things to watch.

    Marlins – This is a hard team to get a full read on because they don’t have a projected starting position player with even three years of MLB service time. The Marlins finished 27th in Runs Saved in 2024, so we don’t have much optimism. If you’re looking for one guy to watch, it’s second baseman Otto Lopez who has 9 Runs Saved in 103 career games there.

    Mets – The Mets paid a ton for right fielder Juan Soto’s bat but they also get his glove, which has not rated impressively the last few seasons. Soto’s range with the Yankees left something to be desired (-6 Range Runs Saved in 2024) though his arm made up for some of that.

    Nationals – Washington has a pair of young and exciting corner outfielders in James Wood and Dylan Crews. Wood had trouble in left field during his time in MLB last season (-7 Runs Saved) but Crews fared alright in right field, and on The SIS Baseball Podcast, Washington Post national baseball writer Chelsea Janes said he looked good in spring training too. He looks like he could be a complete major league player.

    Padres – Can Fernando Tatis Jr. bounce back from the stress fracture that cost him considerable time last season? Tatis had 29 Runs Saved in right field in 2023 but dropped to 0 in 2024.

    Phillies – The Phillies have a decent defensive team, with a solid right side of the infield in Bryce Harper and Bryson Stott. How J.T. Realmuto holds up behind the plate as he ages could be a story after a knee injury limited him last year. The team already has two notable weaknesses in the field (Nick Castellanos and Trea Turner) and the defense would be hindered if Realmuto’s performance dips.

    Pirates – Oneil Cruz got his feet wet with 23 games in center field last season. He had -3 Runs Saved, but more notably 9 Misplays & Errors (a high total for a small span of games). Cruz replaces Michael A. Taylor, one of the better defensive center fielders in the game.

    Reds – Jose Trevino was added this offseason to improve the Reds backup catcher spot and now he’s the regular starter with Tyler Stephenson injured. Trevino’s 45 Runs Saved over the last 4 seasons lead all catchers and he’s an excellent pitch framer, so what he doesn’t have in his bat, he should make up for some with his glove.

    Rockies – The Rockies have three Gold Glove/Fielding Bible Award-caliber defenders in shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, third baseman Ryan McMahon, and center fielder Brenton Doyle. But how many games can the Rockies win with defense to make up for their deficiencies elsewhere?

  • Are The Diamondbacks A Good Defensive Team?

    Are The Diamondbacks A Good Defensive Team?

    Photo: Wilfredo Perez/Icon Sportswire

    Part of a series of articles previewing the defensive performance of all 30 MLB teams by asking the question … are they good? To see the full series, click here.

    2024 Team Defensive Runs Saved Rank: 17th

    Team Strengths

    Catcher Gabriel Moreno has put together two strong seasons, saving 20 runs and winning a Fielding Bible Award in 2023 and then saving 10 runs in 2024. Moreno improved his strike-getting numbers from 2023 to 2024 but slipped a little in both pitch blocking and stolen bases (though teams don’t run often on him). 

    Shortstop Geraldo Perdomo had his best defensive season by far in 2024, saving 10 runs after back-to-back seasons with -3. He improved covering ground both in the hole and up the middle. The 2024 season was also a good defensive one for Ketel Marte, who cut back on his misplays and totaled 10 Runs Saved at second base, his best total there since saving 14 in 2018

    Team Weaknesses

    The Diamondbacks are good up the middle but weaker at the corners. Josh Naylor replacing Christian Walker at first base represents a 13-run defensive downgrade (Walker had 7 Runs Saved in 2024, Naylor had -6). Third baseman Eugenio Suárez, though never terrible at third base, has not finished a season with positive Runs Saved in the last seven years.

    The Diamondbacks also have an issue in that their best defensive center fielder, Alek Thomas, is the worst-performing hitter of the potential options. As such, they’ll probably start Jake McCarthy there. He has -4 Runs Saved in just over 100 games in center field.

    New staff ace Corbin Burnes had -6 Runs Saved last year after allowing 41 stolen bases. Perhaps he’ll fare better with Moreno catching.

    Other Things To Know

    One thing that hurt the Diamondbacks last season is that when they didn’t play Moreno or Perdomo, there was a big drop-off defensively. Moreno had 10 Runs Saved last season. His backups had -6 (projected backup Jose Herrera had -2). Perdomo had 10 Runs Saved too. His backups had -5 Runs Saved (Garrett Hampson is a better backup option than what they previously had, though Blaze Alexander, -6 Runs Saved last year, figures to play some after he comes back from a strained oblique.)

    Are The Diamondbacks A Good Defensive Team?

    They’re largely running back a 2024 team that ranked 17th and lost a Fielding Bible Award-winning first baseman. In sum, they’re not, though they’re in good shape in a few places.

  • Are the Padres A Good Defensive Team?

    Are the Padres A Good Defensive Team?

    Photo: Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire

    Part of a series of articles previewing the defensive performance of all 30 MLB teams by asking the question … are they good? To see the full series, click here.

    2024 Defensive Runs Saved Rank: 24th

    Team Strengths

    The Padres have considerable variance on this roster when it comes to their defense. We’ll give Fernando Tatis Jr. the benefit of the doubt and list him as a strength, but there were times during his second season in right field when he looked like he was new to playing the position. Tatis had a fantastic first year in right field with 29 Runs Saved and a Fielding Bible Award in 2023. But last year, while dealing with a stress fracture in his foot that eventually sent him to the IL, the mistakes were more frequent and he slipped to 0.

    Manny Machado could also be a strength, but he’s a bit removed from his last season with double-digit Runs Saved at third base (2017). Nonetheless, he’s had positive Runs Saved there in every season but one, so he’s a strength, though we don’t necessarily know how good he’ll be.

    Lastly, shout-out to Jason Heyward, the all-time leader in Runs Saved in right field, who for now is going to play a lot in left field. Heyward has aged, but still has skills. He had 5 and 4 Runs Saved, respectively, the last two seasons.

    Team Weaknesses

    The team’s weakness last season was that it didn’t have any players who could go get the ball better than most other MLB players. Their most Runs Saved at a position last season was Michael King’s 4 at pitcher.

    They don’t necessarily have bad defenders anywhere (Xander Bogaerts and Luis Arraez are a little below average, but not a lot), but they’re lacking a great defensive player if Tatis doesn’t do what he did two years ago.

    Other Things To Know

    Which version of Elias Diaz will show up behind the plate? Diaz has had seasons of -21, -15, and -16 Runs Saved at catcher, with those last two coming in 2022 and 2023. He fixed some issues with his pitch framing and bumped all the way up to 5 Runs Saved last season. No idea how we should project him in 2025. Luis Campusano could use a similar bump. He totaled -17 Runs Saved as the Padres part–time catcher last season.

    A few folks on Reddit asked about Jackson Merrill, so I’m adding him after the initial publication of this article. It’s really hard to project him, given that he has just the one year of MLB experience (0 Runs Saved) and no minor league experience in center field, and he’s being graded on a curve against the best athletes in the sport. The aging curve is such that he could certainly improve, but it’s really anyone’s guess whether he does and just how much.

    Are the Padres A Good Defensive Team?

    There’s a world in which Tatis saves 20 Runs and Machado saves 10, and most of the other regulars total 0 to 5. In that world, they’d be in the top 10 of the sport. But can you count on that? Don’t know.

  • Are The Giants A Good Defensive Team?

    Are The Giants A Good Defensive Team?

    Photo: Larry Placido/Icon Sportswire

    Part of a series of articles previewing the defensive performance of all 30 MLB teams by asking the question … are they good? To see the full series, click here.

    2024 Defensive Runs Saved Rank: 21st

    Team Strengths

    Patrick Bailey is the reigning Fielding Bible Award winner and was runner-up for the Award in 2023. He’s an excellent pitch framer and a good catcher when it comes to slowing down an opponent’s running game. In sum, he’s the standard-setter at the position.

    Matt Chapman looked like something close to the best version of himself in winning the Fielding Bible Award at third base last season. His MLB-leading 17 Runs Saved were his most in a season since he had 23 in 2019. He made many terrific plays at third base and covered ground well to both sides. 

    Mike Yastrzemski is a good though not great right fielder, who totaled 5 Runs Saved there last season and can play center field at an above-average level too.

    Team Weaknesses

    Newly-signed shortstop Willy Adames inexplicably finished last among shortstops with -16 Runs Saved last season. Were Adames to revert to 2022 and 2023 form (9 and 8 Runs Saved at shortstop, respectively), we’d list him as a strength. But given his most recent season, we categorize him here.

    Other Things to Know

    Center fielder Jung Hoo Lee is a wild card in this whole thing. Lee came to the states with a rep for being a great defensive outfielder in the KBO but got sidelined for the season with an injury before he could fully demonstrate it. In 37 games, he looked the part with effort, but totaled -2 Runs Saved. Without Lee, the Giants spent most of the summer playing Heliot Ramos in center field, which went badly (-15 Runs Saved). He’s much better suited for left field (4 Runs Saved).

    For that matter, so is Tyler Fitzgerald, who slides from shortstop to second base with Adames’ signing. Fitzgerald didn’t do well at shortstop last season (-6 Runs Saved) particularly when it came to double plays but gets a shot at another position.

    Are The Giants A Good Defensive Team?

    The Giants totaled -24 Runs Saved in center field and -11 at shortstop last season. If Lee and Adames can even get those numbers to 0, then the Giants could stake a claim to being a Top 10 defensive team. If not, then they’re a frustrating defensive team, one that is very, very good in a few spots but not so at some important ones.

  • Are The Braves A Good Defensive Team?

    Are The Braves A Good Defensive Team?

    Photo: Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire

    Part of a series of articles previewing the defensive performance of all 30 MLB teams by asking the question … are they good? To see the full series, click here.

    2024 Defensive Runs Saved Rank: 10th

    Team Strengths

    The Braves can put some pretty good defenders on the field on a regular basis.

    First baseman Matt Olson won his 4th Fielding Bible Award in 2024. 

    Most Defensive Runs Saved – 1B, Last 2 Seasons

    Player Runs Saved
    Matt Olson 21
    Carlos Santana 20
    Christian Walker 16

    Austin Riley posted seasons of 13, 7, and 9 Runs Saved in 2021, 2022, and 2023, respectively. He dropped to 0 Runs Saved in 2024. You could make a case he belongs in the strengths column even with that.

    Center fielder Michael Harris had a career-high 11 Runs Saved, tied for 7th at the position last season.  

    Catcher Sean Murphy was one of the best catchers in MLB at blocking potential wild pitches last season. He’s going to miss the start of the season with a cracked rib. Top prospect Drake Baldwin could be his replacement for now. He’s rated as an average defensive catcher in the minors.

    And pitcher Chris Sale didn’t just win a Cy Young Award last year. He also won a Gold Glove, though actually Spencer Schwellenbach is the one on the staff with the best defensive numbers.

    Team Weaknesses

    The outfield has the potential to be problematic. Newcomer Jurickson Profar (left field) could be dicey. Profar ranks next-to-last in Runs Saved in left field over the last two seasons.

    And when Ronald Acuña Jr. comes back from his torn ACL, he’s going to have to play right field given that Marcell Ozuna is the main DH. Acuña had -7 Runs Saved in 48 games there last season.

     Other things to consider

    If you were looking for Ozzie Albies and Orlando Arcia in the strengths list, we don’t think they belong there. Check out their Runs Saved totals the last few seasons. Albies has 3, -1, 1, and 1 at second base the last four years. Arcia has -6 and -1 at shortstop the last two years.

    Are They A Good Defensive Team?

    The Braves are an average-to-good defensive team in most spots, which should position them in or close to the Top 10. But they have the potential to have some significant in-the-moment issues within games given the potential weaknesses of their corner outfielders.

  • Are the Phillies A Good Defensive Team?

    Are the Phillies A Good Defensive Team?

    Photo: John Cordes/Icon Sportwire

    Part of a series of articles previewing the defensive performance of all 30 MLB teams by asking the question … are they good? To see the full series, click here.

    2024 Defensive Runs Saved Rank: 18th

    Team Strengths

    Bryson Stott was one of the better-performing defensive second baseman in the National League last season, as only Brice Turang, Ketel Marte, and Otto Lopez totaled more than his 7 Runs Saved. He could stand to be a lot more effective at turning double plays but he’s still a solid defender.

    Dare we say it but Bryce Harper was pretty good in his first year as a full-time first baseman last season. He finished with 5 Runs Saved and didn’t look out of place at all. He was a deserving Gold Glove finalist.

    Johan Rojas will primarily be a late-game replacement and an outfield with Rojas in center field, Brandon Marsh in left field, and Max Kepler in right field at the end of games will be a tough one to hit the ball past. Marsh, who will probably start games in his weaker position, center field,  had 7 Runs Saved in left field last season. After a slow start in 2024, Rojas had 4 Runs Saved in center field (and 14 in 2023). Kepler, who will start games in left field, has never finished a season with negative Runs Saved in right field.

    The Phillies have a group of very good fielding pitchers, particularly Ranger Suárez (MLB-best 22 Runs Saved in the last four seasons, though currently injured) and Zack Wheeler (14 Runs Saved in that same span, which ranks T-4th)

    Team Weaknesses

    The Phillies have two distinct and significant weaknesses:

    Nick Castellanos has had at best -9 Runs Saved in right field in each of the last four seasons and his -40 Runs Saved in that span is easily worst at the position.

    Trea Turner has had a rough go of it at shortstop the last two seasons, tallying -10 and -14 Runs Saved, respectively. His -24 Runs Saved in that time is worst among shortstops.

    Other Things To Know

    We didn’t list J.T. Realmuto as a strength or weakness. But the last two years, Realmuto has not provided the defensive value he did in 2022, when he threw out 42% of basestealers and saved 11 Runs. He’s thrown out 17% and 19% the last two years and hasn’t done well in either season in our pitch framing stats. 

    We’re also not listing Alec Bohm in the weakness column, which we would have done in past years. Bohm had his best defensive season in 2024, finishing with 0 Runs Saved at third base.

    Alec Bohm Defensive Runs Saved At 3rd Base

    Season Runs Saved
    2020 -7
    2021 -12
    2022 -17
    2023 -9
    2024 0

    Are The Phillies A Good Defensive Team?

    Good, relative to some of the Phillies teams of the recent past? Yes. Good compared to the rest of the major leagues? They’re not a first-tier team. On their best day, they might be at the edge of the second tier, but they’re more likely what average looks like.

  • Are The Mets A Good Defensive Team?

    Are The Mets A Good Defensive Team?

    Photo: Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire

    Part of a series of articles previewing the defensive performance of all 30 MLB teams by asking the question … are they good? To see the full series, click here.

    2024 Defensive Runs Saved Rank: 15th

    Team Strengths

    New center fielder Jose Siri finished tied for 3rd in Runs Saved last season. There’s a little bit of high-risk, high-reward to his game, as he had a high total of Defensive Misplays & Errors, but the net result is pretty good. Last year he specialized in taking away hits on shallow fly balls.

    Player Runs Saved
    Jarren Duran 17
    Daulton Varsho 16
    Jose Siri 12
    Michael A. Taylor 12
    Jacob Young 12

    Francisco Alvarez’s catching is such that it has to be listed as both a strength and a weakness (he’ll miss the start of the season with a fractured left hand). Alvarez has been a very good pitch framer in each of the last two seasons. The rest of his game, as noted below, needs work, but it’s hard to quibble considering the team went 57-25 when he caught in 2024.

    In Alvarez’s absence, Luis Torrens will get a good amount of playing time behind the plate. Torrens threw 13-of-28 would-be basestealers out last season, by far the best he’s ever fared in any defensive stat. We’ll see if he can replicate that magic.

    Tyrone Taylor is probably going to see some time at all three outfield spots. He was fantastic filling in for Starling Marte in right field last year but he won’t play there much this year with Juan Soto’s arrival.

     Team Weaknesses

    Third baseman Mark Vientos seemed to get better as the season progressed but the numbers don’t fully reflect that. He finished with -6 Runs Saved in 2024 and with Pete Alonso sticking around, and a Jesse Winker/Marte platoon at DH, Vientos has to play third base.

    The aforementioned issues with Alvarez’s catching are pitch blocking, where he rates as one of the worst in the game, and basestealing prevention, which he got a little better at in 2024, but he’s still a liability.

    Juan Soto isn’t necessarily a bad right fielder (he’s tallied -2 and -1 Runs Saved there in 2022 and 2024). But he does have a weakness on deep fly balls, which could come into play given that Citi Field has a bigger outfield to cover than Yankee Stadium.

    Other Things To Know

    Defensive Runs Saved doesn’t like Francisco Lindor as much as Outs Above Average and MLB’s Defensive Runs Prevented does. It wouldn’t be surprising if he had a good season in that slot and slotted into the ‘strengths’ category, where most of our readership probably thinks he belongs anyway. 

    With Jeff McNeil out due to an oblique strain, Lindor’s start-of-season middle-infield mate will be either Brett Baty or Luisangel Acuña. Baty had 1 Run Saved in 27 games at second base in the minors. Acuña has a little more sample size, with 1 Run Saved in 83 games measured there.

    Are the Mets A Good Defensive Team?

    I wouldn’t go as far as to say they are just yet. The Mets were a far better defensive team in the second half of 2024 than the first half. But this year’s team has a few potential holes.

  • Stat of the Week: 2025 AL Team Defensive Storylines

    Stat of the Week: 2025 AL Team Defensive Storylines

    Over on our website, we’re looking at the defensive strengths and weaknesses of all 30 MLB teams heading into 2025. That makes our look at the top defensive storyline for each team heading into the season easier to do.  

    We’ll do the American League this week and the National League next week. Click on the link for each team for a more detailed analysis.

    Angels – It’s been a little while coming but Mike Trout is finally moving to right field, flipping places with Jo Adell, who will start the season in center field. Past studies that we’ve done at SIS show that center fielders improve by about 8 Runs Saved per 1,000 innings when moving to a corner spot. Meanwhile, Adell was the team’s top defensive outfielder last season, finishing with 6 Runs Saved. Corners typically decline about 7 runs per 1,000 innings when moving to center field.

    Astros – Jose Altuve makes the move from second base to left field. This was another move that was some time in the making. Altuve totaled -41 Runs Saved over the last three seasons, the worst total for any second baseman.

    Athletics – It could be another rough year for the Athletics in the field. Their top-performing defensive player among their current projected starters is Gio Urshela, who had 0 Runs Saved last season.

    Blue Jays – The Blue Jays have been the top team in Defensive Runs Saved the last two seasons and they traded for the best defensive second baseman, Andrés Giménez, who is a wizard when it comes to making plays. He’s still in his prime at age 26 and is the runaway leader in Runs Saved at the position over the last three seasons. 

    Guardians – The Guardians are the team that gave up Giménez and they’ll need to find a way to replace him if they want to finish among the top teams in Defensive Runs Saved again. They’ve finished in the top four twice in the last three seasons, including second last year. 

    Mariners – The Mariners could have a very good outfield if Victor Robles plays like he did after joining the Mariners in the middle of last season and If Randy Arozarena has a season more like 2021 and 2023 (7 and 4 Runs Saved, respectively) than 2022 and 2024 (-6 and -8). 

    Orioles – The Orioles were a Top 10 defensive team in 2022 and 2023 before slipping to 19th in Runs Saved in 2024. They should be better in the outfield with newcomer Tyler O’Neill in left field and Colton Cowser moving to right field, replacing Anthony Santander. And they have the potential to be better at positions like catcher (Adley Rutschman) and shortstop (Gunnar Henderson). 

    Rangers – The Rangers placed 11th in Runs Saved last season but have the pieces to be better if Josh Jung and Evan Carter, who looked so good in the 2023 postseason but dealt with injuries in 2024, are good at third base and center field, respectively.

    Rays – The Rays’ best defensive players are in the minor leagues. Top prospect shortstop Carson Williams and first baseman Tre Morgan both have earned major props from scouts for their defense. Our metrics back that up. They’ve both notched positive Runs Saved totals in the minor leagues, which isn’t that easy to do.

    Red Sox – The Alex Bregman/Rafael Devers ‘who plays third base?’ drama may play out for a little while, but there’s no contest as to which one is the better defender. Bregman, coming off a Gold Glove, will man the spot to start the season. He had 6 Runs Saved at third base last season, 15 more than Devers.

    Royals – The Royals will try to find playing time for Freddy Fermin behind the plate. Salvador Perez has finished with negative Runs Saved at catcher for four straight seasons. Fermin finished 3rd in Runs Saved there in 2024 despite ranking 31st in innings caught.

    Tigers – The Tigers finished 5th in Runs Saved last season, though the team got more from defensive positioning than it did from skill. One thing to watch will be how last year’s youngsters, like shortstop Trey Sweeney and center fielder Parker Meadows, follow up on impressive performances in 2024.

    Twins – It’s said every year but keeping Byron Buxton on the field is vital for the Twins’ success. He had 2 Runs Saved in center field last season. Other Twins center fielders totaled -11 in nearly half of the available innings there.

    White Sox – It can’t be worse for the White Sox than last year, right? They should be better defensively, at least in the outfield where Michael A. Taylor seems the likeliest candidate to play center field. Taylor has the most Runs Saved among center fielders over the last four seasons.

    Yankees – Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm return to positions that have treated them well in the past. Judge has won a Fielding Bible Award for his play in right field. Chisholm has 6 Runs Saved in the equivalent of about a season’s worth of games at second base.

  • Are The A’s A Good Defensive Team?

    Are The A’s A Good Defensive Team?

    Photo: Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire

    Part of a series of articles previewing the defensive performance of all 30 MLB teams by asking the question … are they good? To see the full series, click here.

    2024 Defensive Runs Saved Rank: 29th

    Team Strengths

    Among their projected starters for 2025 via FanGraphs, the team leader in Defensive Runs Saved at a position is third baseman Gio Urshela with 0. 

    Yes, that’s correct. No runs saved is the best they can do at the moment. It’s tough to feel optimistic about their defensive outlook knowing that.

    Team Weaknesses

    They look like they’re going to struggle up the middle.

    Center Fielder J.J. Bleday had -19 Runs Saved there last year, the worst total in the majors. His backup, Esteury Ruiz, had -18 Runs Saved in center field for the A’s in 2023.

    Catcher Shea Langeliers has had back-to-back seasons of -13 and -10 Runs Saved and ranks near the bottom in both pitch framing and pitch blocking.

    Other Things To Know

    There’s some excitement about shortstop Jacob Wilson, a first round pick in 2023, had -4 Runs Saved in 27 games there last season and had -12 Runs Saved in a 66-game sample in the minors the last two years. Eric Longenhagen praised Wilson’s ability to make acrobatic plays, so perhaps the potential is there for him to be better. But we don’t see it just yet.

    The A’s best defensive prospect is center fielder Denzel Clarke whom Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs says is “likely to grow into an elite defender.” Very few minor league center fielders post positive Defensive Runs Saved totals in extended stretches, but Clarke had 3 Runs Saved in center field (and 4 in right field in a short stint) in 88 games in 2024.

    Are the A’s A Good Defensive Team?

    No, they figure to be one of the worst in the majors this year.