Did you happen to catch the highlights from the Red Sox win over the Tigers yesterday?
The Red Sox defense had quite a day.
Right fielder Wilyer Abreu made two sliding catches (one with the bases loaded), center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela made one, left fielder Jarren Duran threw a runner out at second base (after replay review), and Willson Contreras made a diving play at first base.
We’ll say this about the Red Sox. The problems that the team has had this season aren’t with their defense.
The Red Sox lead the majors with 31 Defensive Runs Saved entering Thursday. Abreu leads right fielders with 7 Runs Saved. No one else at the position has more than 3. Contreras is tied for the first base lead with 4 Runs Saved. Roman Anthony, who didn’t play on Thursday due to a wrist injury, is second among left fielders with 6 Runs Saved. And third baseman Caleb Durbin ranks second at his position with 6 Runs Saved.
That the Red Sox have a standout defensive outfield isn’t a surprise. Rafaela and Abreu have both won Fielding Bible Awards, so the team is operating from a position of strength there. They lead MLB in the Outfield Arm component of Runs Saved. The big improvement has come in the infield.
The Red Sox lead MLB, having converted 78.4% of grounders and bunts into outs this season. Last season they ranked 25th (71.8%). What’s a 6.6 percentage-point differential worth? If the Red Sox had last year’s percentage, they’d have turned 27 fewer grounders and bunts into outs this season.
Durbin has been very good. His 6 Runs Saved are one more than he had last season. Contreras has also been better than he was last season, his first year at first base.
I posted the team Runs Saved leaders on Reddit the other day and there was some chatter about defense being meaningless because there were three mediocre teams in the top five. The Giants are currently 3rd and the Mets are tied for 5th. But that conveniently ignores where some of the other teams stand, like the Dodgers (2nd), Cubs (4th), Rays (tied for 7th) and Yankees (tied for 7th).
Good defense is usually the mark of a good team. As we already said, defense isn’t the Red Sox problem. Being outhomered 45-27 is the bigger issue and there’s not much a defense can do about that.
