Part of a series of articles previewing the defensive performance of all 30 MLB teams by asking the question … are they good? We give an overview of team strengths, weaknesses, and other things to know, using Defensive Runs Saved and other stats as the basis for our evaluation. To see the full series, click here.
2025 Team Defensive Runs Saved Rank: 3rd
Team Strengths
The transition to shortstop has been a good one for Mookie Betts, validated by his winning a Fielding Bible Award and leading shortstops in Runs Saved in 2025. The biggest improvement to Betts’ game was simply that he cut down on mistakes. He went from 19 Misplays & Errors in 65 games in 2024 to 16 in 148 games in 2025.
Second baseman Hyeseong Kim, a three-time KBO Fielding Bible Award winner, is pretty good too, at least in the sample that we’ve seen (9 Runs Saved in 45 games at second base). Max Muncy isn’t a superstar defender but he’s a solid third baseman. He’s had a combined 8 Runs Saved the last two seasons.
The Dodgers get a lot of Runs Saved from their defensive positioning, as they are extremely willing to play modified shift defenses to defend against hitters with strong pull tendencies (playing their second baseman or shortstop adjacent to second base as warranted). This boosts their team Runs Saved total, such that we’d call the Dodgers a good defensive team whose positioning makes them a very good team.
We’ll also include Andy Pages here for one element of his game, and it’s not related to his game-saving catch in Game 7 of the World Series. Pages had 6 Outfield Arm Runs Saved (5 in center field, 1 in right field), largely because he had a high number of assists without the help of a relay many (8). The 6 Runs Saved for his arm was one shy of the MLB head.
Team Weaknesses
Freddie Freeman has had -8, 1, and -7 Runs Saved the last three years. Freeman is still a good throw handler, but his range has been lessened over the years, particularly on balls hit to his right (in some respects this is due to the Dodgers wanting their second baseman to field some of those balls). Freeman has a good reputation but the last three seasons indicate he’s on the downside of the aging curve.
Likewise, Will Smith has -4 and -8 Runs Saved the last two seasons at catcher. He’s faltered in both pitch framing and pitch blocking. With regards to framing, Smith got fewer strikes on the edges compared to other catchers per Baseball Savant.
Other Things To Know
Kyle Tucker has had as many as 15 Runs Saved in right field (2022) but more recently had -1 playing half his season in Wrigley Field in 2025 (where a deeper right field may also have impacted his throwing numbers). Tucker took advantage of the short fences in Houston to snag some home run robberies and may be able to do the same in the right field corner in Los Angeles.
As always, expect the Dodgers to have plenty of versatility on their roster, starting with Kiké Hernández and Miguel Rojas. Both are useful in that they are average or better wherever you put them.
Are the Dodgers A Good Defensive Team?
The Dodgers have ranked in the top three in Defensive Runs Saved in each of the last four seasons, so it seems like the answer is going to be yes. The one thing that could go against them is age, with Betts, Muncy, Freeman, Rojas, and Hernandez all being 33 or older and on the downside of the aging curve. If it came apart for all of those players at once, the Dodgers could be in trouble.
