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: 26th

Team Strengths

Denzel Clarke is a strong candidate for a Fielding Bible Award as he’s shown great range and home run-robbing capabilities. One thing that may take him down a peg is that he was easy to run on last year. The baserunner advancement rate against him on hits was 69% and he had 0 assists without the help of a relay man. An advance rate that high for a full season would take 6 to 7 runs off his Runs Saved, as it did for Cedric Mullins, last season.

Tyler Soderstrom successfully converted to left field . He had 10 Runs Saved there last season, which was well behind the leader, Steven Kwan, but was still good for fourth-most overall.

Fewest Defensive Runs Saved- Catchers, Last 3 Seasons

The A’s haven’t finished a season with positive Runs Saved at second base since 2015. Jeff McNeil will be an upgrade. He’s had positive Runs Saved totals at the position, albeit ones ranging from 1 to 5, in four of the last five seasons.

Team Weaknesses

There are two obvious ones, at least statistically.

Shea Langeliers has had -10 or worse Runs Saved in three straight seasons and does not rate well as a pitch framer. He did significantly improve his pitch blocking last season, but it didn’t make a dent in his overall Runs Saved total.

Fewest Defensive Runs Saved- Catchers, Last 3 Seasons

Jacob Wilson had -10 Runs Saved as a shortstop last season and has -14 in 151 games at the position.  It’s tough to have to play two players with -10 Runs Saved capability but those two guys make up for it with how well they hit.

Other Things To Know

Starting pitcher Luis Severino is tied with Spencer Schwellenbach for the most Runs Saved by a pitcher over the last two seasons. Severino covers the area around the mound well and his occasional pickoffs help limit the running game against him.

We’ll see where Colby Thomas fits in the outfield this year. Last season he played all three spots. In the minors he was good defensively in left field, totaling as many as a minor league-leading 13 Runs Saved in 2024.

We’re a little nervous about Nick Kurtz’s high Misplays & Errors total (25, tied for second-most among MLB first basemen) but he did total 2 Runs Saved in his first 112 games there. More sample size should help figure out what kind of defender he is.

Are the Athletics A Good Defensive Team?

I think at this point, the answer is probably that they’re a better defensive team. But I don’t know that they’re good just yet.