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  • The 2025 Fielding Bible Awards Winners

    The 2025 Fielding Bible Awards Winners

    Contact: Mark Simon

    Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com 

    Fielding Bible website: https://www.fieldingbible.com/awards

    SIS is pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 Fielding Bible Awards. This marks the 20th season that we have honored the best defensive players in MLB.

    The awards are voted on by a panel of experts who consider statistical analysis, the eye test, and any other factors that they wish to utilize. 

    We are also announcing the winner of our third annual Defensive Player of the Year award and our first Defensive Team of the Year award.

    This year’s winners are:

    Position Name Team
    Player of the Year Patrick Bailey Giants
    1B Matt Olson Braves
    2B Nico Hoerner Cubs
    3B Ke’Bryan Hayes Reds
    SS Mookie Betts Dodgers
    LF Steven Kwan Guardians
    CF Ceddanne Rafaela Red Sox
    RF Fernando Tatis Jr. Padres
    C Patrick Bailey Giants
    P Max Fried Yankees
    Multi-Position Ernie Clement Blue Jays
    Team of the Year Chicago Cubs

    This year’s group of winners includes seven players who previously won a Fielding Bible Award and three first-time winners. They come from 10 different teams. Three won by unanimous vote (Matt Olson, Nico Hoerner, Steven Kwan).

    There were some common threads among the winners. Each of the four infielders led their respective position in Plays Saved (our version of Outs Above Average) on balls hit to their right. In other words, they did well fielding balls when moving away from first base.

    And each of the three outfielders were highlight-reel players. They each led their respective position in Good Fielding Plays, a stat that combines Web Gem-caliber plays with effort plays, such as cutting a ball off in the gap or in the hole to prevent a runner from taking an extra base.

    Below are the details about the winners.

    Defensive Player of the Year – Patrick Bailey, San Francisco Giants

    Patrick Bailey is the third winner of The Fielding Bible Defensive Player of the Year Award joining Ke’Bryan Hayes in 2023 and Daulton Varsho in 2024. He’s the first catcher to win the Award.

    Bailey led all catchers with 19 Defensive Runs Saved. Since 2023 Bailey leads all catchers in Runs Saved and trails only Varsho for the most overall in that time. Bailey’s 40 Strike Zone Runs Saved are more than any catcher has total Runs Saved.

    “Patrick Bailey has many ways of controlling a game as a catcher,” said SIS editorial operations lead Mark Simon. “He is a leader on the field with the way he supports his pitching staff defensively through pitch framing, stolen base prevention, and pitch blocking. He is a deserving honoree as Defensive Player of the Year.”

    Defensive Team of the Year – Chicago Cubs

    The Chicago Cubs are our inaugural Defensive Team of the Year winner. They ranked second in the majors and led all NL teams in Defensive Runs Saved. 

    The Cubs were the only team to have a positive Runs Saved total from eight of the nine defensive positions (all but right field). 

    They had the MLB leader in Runs Saved at second base (Nico Hoerner, who won the Fielding Bible Award) and the runner-up in center field (Pete Crow-Armstrong). They also had the No. 3 left fielder (Ian Happ), and the No. 3 pitcher (Matthew Boyd), as well as the No. 4 third baseman (Matt Shaw).

    “Cubs management built a team that prides itself in defensive excellence and that showed up all over the field,” Simon said. “They were especially strong up the middle and at some of the game’s most important positions. Their best defensive players stayed healthy all season. They are a great choice as our inaugural Defensive Team of the Year winner.”

    First Base – Matt Olson, Atlanta Braves

    Matt Olson won his fifth Fielding Bible Award, matching Albert Pujols for the most by any first baseman since the Award was introduced in 2006. Olson previously won in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2024.

    Olson led all first basemen with a career-high 17 Defensive Runs Saved in 2025. That matched the most Runs Saved by a first baseman in the last 15 seasons (Mark Teixeira had 17 in 2012, Christian Walker had 17 in 2022). 

    Olson, as is his custom, had excellent Range Runs Saved. He also added 4 Runs to his total through double plays, bunt defense, and Good Fielding Plays (including scoops). He easily led all first basemen with 145 assists, 40 more than his previous single-season high.

    Olson is also an iron man. He has played in 162 games in each of the last four seasons and is the active leader with 782 consecutive games played.

    Olson is the only Braves player to win the Award at first base.

    Second Base – Nico Hoerner, Chicago Cubs

    Nico Hoerner won his first Fielding Bible Award. He led all second basemen with a career high 17 Defensive Runs Saved in 2025. Only two other players had at least 10 Runs Saved at the position.

    Hoerner was an MLB-best 15 Plays Saved better than the average second baseman on balls hit to his right, meaning he took away a lot of potential hits on balls hit up the middle. He is the lone winner from the Defensive Team of the Year, the Cubs.

    Hoerner joined Darwin Barney (2012) as the only Cubs second basemen to win the Award. This is the second straight year that a Cubs middle infielder won the Award. Dansby Swanson won at shortstop in 2024.

    Third Base – Ke’Bryan Hayes, Cincinnati Reds

    Ke’Bryan Hayes won his third Fielding Bible Award. He previously won in 2021 and 2023.

    Hayes led third basemen with 19 Defensive Runs Saved in 2025. The next-closest third baseman was Maikel Garcia with 13. Hayes has 95 Runs Saved since the start of the 2020 season. That’s 32 more than the next-closest third baseman, Ryan McMahon. Hayes has led third basemen in Runs Saved four times in the last five seasons and finished second the one year he didn’t lead.

    The most impressive things about Hayes’ season were that he was once again great on balls hit to his right (MLB-best 12 Plays Saved) and he cut back on his Defensive Misplays and Errors. He had 18 in 2024, then had 16 in 2025 in 453 more innings.

    Hayes joins Brandon Phillips as the only Reds to win a Fielding Bible Award. Phillips won at second base in 2008.

    Shortstop – Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers

    Mookie Betts won his seventh Fielding Bible Award. That snaps a tie with Yadier Molina and Andrelton Simmons for the most Award wins since the Awards were first introduced in 2006. Betts previously won as a right fielder in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2022, and won the multi-position Award in 2023.

    Betts tied Taylor Walls for the lead in Defensive Runs Saved by a shortstop in 2025 with 17. Betts had played only 81 MLB games at shortstop prior to 2025 but handled the position very well. He turned 12 more plays than expected on balls hit to his right, best of any shortstop. He had 16 Defensive Misplays and Errors in 2025, three fewer than he made in 2024 in more than twice as many innings.

    Betts is the first Dodgers shortstop to win the Award. The only other Dodgers infielder to win a Fielding Bible Award is first baseman Adrián González in 2014.

    Left Field – Steven Kwan, Cleveland Guardians

    Steven Kwan won his third Fielding Bible Award in four years. He previously won in 2022 and 2023. His 22 Defensive Runs Saved in 2025 were 10 more than the next-closest left fielder and matched Ernie Clement for the most by any player.

    What differentiated Kwan in 2025 was the value of his throwing arm. He had an MLB-best and career-high 7 Outfield Arm Runs Saved and 10 assists without a cutoff man. He showed great skill in playing balls off outfield fences and preventing baserunner advancement. Kwan’s 29 Good Fielding Plays were the most of any left fielder.

    Guardians players have won seven  Fielding Bible Awards in the last four years. That’s the most of any team in that time.

    Center Field – Ceddanne Rafaela, Boston Red Sox

    Ceddanne Rafaela won his first Fielding Bible Award. He led all center fielders in 2025 with 20 Defensive Runs Saved. 

    Rafaela’s 27 Good Fielding Plays were the most of any center fielder. Rafaela had the second-most Range Runs Saved of any center fielder and tied for the most Outfield Arm Runs Saved at the position. Rafaela was also versatile. He played 24 games at second base and had 1 Run Saved.

    Rafaela is the first Red Sox center fielder to win a Fielding Bible Award. Mookie Betts and Wilyer Abreu are the two Red Sox outfielders who previously won, both in right field, with Abreu most recently in 2024.

    Right Field – Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres

    Fernando Tatis won his second Fielding Bible Award. He also won it for right field in 2023.

    Tatis finished tied for second among right fielders with 15 Defensive Runs Saved in 2025, just behind the leader Adolis Garcia, who had 16. Tatis led all players with 3 home run robbing catches. His 28 Good Fielding Plays were the most of any right fielder.

    Tatis is the only Padres player to ever win a Fielding Bible Award.

    Catcher – Patrick Bailey, San Francisco Giants

    Patrick Bailey won his second consecutive Fielding Bible Award. Bailey and Matt Olson are the two returning winners from last year’s Awards.

    Bailey has been MLB’s premier pitch framer since coming up to the Giants in 2023. He has led or co-led the majors in Strike Zone Runs Saved in each of the last three seasons (the stat measures how well a catcher does at getting more called strikes than expected). He also rated above average in both pitch blocking and in Stolen Base Runs Saved and led all catchers in Defensive Runs Saved with 19 in 2025.

    Bailey joins Buster Posey as Giants catchers with multiple Fielding Bible Awards. Posey, now the team’s president of baseball operations, won it in 2015 and 2016.

    Pitcher – Max Fried, New York Yankees

    Max Fried won his second Fielding Bible Award. He previously won it in 2020.

    Fried led all pitchers in 2025 with 10 Defensive Runs Saved, the most by a pitcher since Dallas Keuchel had 12 in 2021. Fried had 4 Runs Saved from turning batted balls into outs and also had 4 Runs Saved from controlling the running game. The latter stemmed from his 7 combined pickoffs and pitcher caught stealings, second-most in MLB. Fried led all pitchers with 39 assists.

    Fried is the first Yankees pitcher to win a Fielding Bible Award. The last Yankees player to win an Award was catcher Jose Trevino in 2022.

    Multi-Position – Ernie Clement, Toronto Blue Jays

    Ernie Clement won his first Fielding Bible Award. 

    Clement tied for the MLB lead among all players with 22 Defensive Runs Saved in 2025. He is the second player to record at least 10 Runs Saved at two infield positions in the same season. The other is Ryan McMahon for the 2021 Rockies. Clement had 11 Runs Saved at third base (good for fourth-most) and 10 Runs Saved at second base (third-most). He also had 1 Run Saved at first base and played 29 games at shortstop with 0 Runs Saved. 

    Clement is the second straight Blue Jays winner of the multi-position award. Daulton Varsho won it last year. The only other Blue Jays infielder to win a Fielding Bible Award is Aaron Hill, who won at second base in 2007 and 2009.

    Voters

    Our voting panel consisted of SIS co-founder John Dewan, along with Daniel Álvarez-Montes (El Extra Base, editor/writer), Ben Clemens (FanGraphs, writer), Chris Dial (sabermetrician), Alyson Footer (MLB.com, editor), Tyler Kepner (The Athletic, writer), Bill Ladson (MLB.com, writer), Eduardo Pérez (ESPN, broadcaster), Hal Richman (Strat-O-Matic, founder), Eno Sarris (The Athletic, writer), Travis Sawchik (The Score, writer), Bobby Scales (Detroit Tigers, radio broadcaster), Joe Sheehan (Joe Sheehan’s Baseball Newsletter, writer), Mark Simon (SIS, writer), Danielle Wexelman (MLB Network Radio, broadcaster), and an aggregate vote from the SIS Baseball Operations staff.

    About SIS

    Sports Info Solutions was founded in 2002 and partners with Major Leagues, their teams, media companies, odds providers, and fans, to help them win. The company is well-known for its work in baseball and is the inventor of one of baseball’s most popular defensive metrics, Defensive Runs Saved.

     

  • The Defensive Excellence And Dominance of Nico Hoerner

    The Defensive Excellence And Dominance of Nico Hoerner

    Photo: Melissa Tamez, Icon Sportswire

    Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner is currently routing the rest of the field in Defensive Runs Saved at his position. He also trails only his teammate Pete Crow-Armstrong, Rays shortstop Taylor Walls, and Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts in Defensive Wins Above Replacement.

    Most Defensive Runs Saved – Second Base, 2025 Season

    Player Team Runs Saved
    Nico Hoerner Cubs 19
    Xavier Edwards Marlins 9
    Brice Turang Brewers 9
    Tyler Fitzgerald Giants 8
    David Hamilton Red Sox 8

    When I see gaps that wide between the No. 1 and No. 2 players at a position, I like to dig into why the gap is so large.

    In Hoerner’s case, there is a pretty easy answer.

    Our version of MLB’s Outs Above Average is Plays Saved, a stat that has existed since the first season for which Defensive Runs Saved was first calculated, 2003 (we called it plus-minus then). It’s basically the same concept as OAA – how many more plays did a player make than the average player at his position, which can be broken down directionally (left, right, and straight-on).

    By our measures, Hoerner has a +16 plays saved on balls hit to his right. No other infielder is better than +11 or better at making plays in any direction this season*. Hoerner has made 113 plays on 182 opportunities**. The expectation is that an average fielder would make 97 of them.

    * Ke’Bryan Hayes is + 11 on balls hit to his right at third base.

     ** Opportunities = plays with a > 0% out probability.

    The excellence on balls hit to his right is a new development. Hoerner has played second base regularly the last two years and was +4 and +1 on those plays.

    The types of plays that help produce this sort of stat take on a few different forms. Here are three valuable ones for Hoerner this season.

    Here’s Hoerner staying on his feet and going across second base to reach a ball and throw out Jacob Wilson of the Athletics.

     

     

    Here’s another play of that nature. This time the Cubs defense is shifted, so it’s a little easier for him to get to the ball. He still has to make a shortstop’s throw to first base from where he’s standing and given that he’s played shortstop in past seasons, that’s not an issue.

     

    Here’s a diving play against the very fast Elly De La Cruz. Dives are a low percentage play for Hoerner, as they are for most second basemen, but that one worked.

     

    If Hoerner’s play looks familiar to Cubs manager Craig Counsell, it should. Defensive Runs Saved was calculated a little differently when Counsell played, as good positioning was credited to the player rather than the team.

    As such, Counsell has Hoerner beat. In 2005 Counsell was a +24 on balls hit to his right on the way to a season with 30 Runs Saved. From a defensive perspective, it was an all-timer of a season. Counsell still shares the single-season record for most Runs Saved by a second baseman with Chase Utley. Hoerner’s season may not reach that level, but it’s looking like a great one too.

  • Stat of the Week: All Things Pete Crow-Armstrong

    Stat of the Week: All Things Pete Crow-Armstrong

    Photo: Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire 

    By our anecdotal observations in surveying the various social media, Pete Crow-Armstrong is the most popular defensive player in baseball this season.

    It’s understandable given his assortment of terrific catches, the amount of ground he covers and the capability of his arm to throw 98 miles-per-hour from center field.

    So let’s give the people what they want and provide a few things to watch for after the All-Star Break (we’re not calling it “the second half”) from PCA.

    Best Defensive Center Fielder in Baseball?

    There’s a difference between popular and best and when we talk about the best defensive center fielders in baseball, there’s a lot of competition.

    Ceddanne Rafaela of the Red Sox actually is tied with Crow-Armstrong in Runs Saved (13), and has played 71 fewer innings than Crow-Armstrong has. Myles Straw of the Blue Jays hasn’t even played half as many innings as either of them and is close behind with 11 Runs Saved.

    There’s also defensive sensation Denzel Clarke of the Athletics (7 Runs Saved), who has played even fewer innings than Straw. And if he can get healthy, Daulton Varsho (5 Runs Saved) may be better than all of them. Others in the discussion include Julio Rodriguez, Michael Harris II, and Victor Scott II.

    Crow-Armstrong is a great defensive player having a great defensive season. He’s No. 1 among center fielders in the range component of Defensive Runs Saved and he’s caught 89 of 103 balls hit to the deepest part of center field, 8 more than his expected catch total (his +8 is best in MLB on deep balls for CF).

    But what we’re saying is: Crow-Armstrong is not a lock for the year-end Fielding Bible Award in center field. It’s still an open race.

    Player Team DRS
    Ceddanne Rafaela Red Sox 13
    Pete Crow-Armstrong Cubs 13
    Myles Straw Blue Jays 11
    Michael Harris II Braves 10
    Julio Rodríguez Mariners 10

    (all stats via FieldingBible.com)

    30-30 … and 20

    Crow-Armstrong is 5 home runs and 3 stolen bases away from a 30-30 season. Defensive Runs Saved was first calculated in 2003 and Crow-Armstrong reaching those milestones will give MLB thirty 30-30 seasons in that time.

    But only one player has had a season with 30 home runs, 30 stolen bases, and 20 Defensive Runs Saved.

    Want to take a guess as to who it is? Answer at the end of the article.

    MVP?

    Crow-Armstrong’s defense is an integral part of his MVP argument, as he needs to be multi-dimensional to compete with someone like Shohei Ohtani.

    Let’s use Baseball-Reference Wins Above Replacement as a proxy for MVP judgement. Crow-Armstrong is caught in a logjam of players at about the same level in the offensive component of WAR. Those include Ohtani, Juan Soto, Kyle Tucker, Will Smith, C.J. Abrams, James Wood, Elly De La Cruz, and Pete Alonso.

    But none of those players are in the same territory as Crow-Armstrong in terms of defensive value. He’s at 1.7 Defensive WAR. Next-best from that group are Smith and De La Cruz, 0.5.

    Ohtani is the one player capable of neutralizing that edge in the season’s remaining games if he pitches well enough. 

    Regardless, it behooves Crow-Armstrong to be as complete a player as he can be. Defense is a vital part of that.

    National League Wins Above Replacement Leaders

    Player Team WAR
    Pete Crow-Armstrong Cubs 5.2
    Zack Wheeler Phillies 4.8
    Paul Skenes Pirates 4.7
    Cristopher Sánchez Phillies 4.6
    James Wood Nationals 4.4
    Shohei Ohtani Dodgers 4.3
    Fernando Tatis Jr. Padres 4.3

    Trivia answer: The two players to hit 30 home runs, steal 30 bases, and record 20 Runs Saved in a season are Ian Kinsler (2009 Rangers) and Mike Trout (2012 Angels)

  • Harrison Bader, Pete Crow-Armstrong Named Defensive Players of the Month

    Harrison Bader, Pete Crow-Armstrong Named Defensive Players of the Month

    Twins outfielder Harrison Bader and Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong are the SIS Defensive Players of the Month for March/April.

    In his first month-plus with the Twins, Bader led all players with 7 Defensive Runs Saved and led all outfielders with 9 Good Fielding Plays.

    The Twins signed Bader this past offseason knowing that they could use him in a couple of ways. They could play him in left field, giving themselves a pair of highly-skilled outfielders if Byron Buxton stayed healthy in center field. And they knew that they could slide Bader over to center if Buxton had any issues.

    Thus far, though the team is struggling, Bader’s defense has given it a boost. He has 4 Runs Saved in 22 games in left field and 3 in six games in center field. His specialty has been coming in to make a diving catch, as he earned a Good Fielding Play for doing that 6 times (like this run-saving one).

    He has 5 Runs Saved for his range and 2 Outfield Arm Runs Saved, for plays like this one against the Mets.

    Crow-Armstrong finished April with 6 Runs Saved, the most by any center fielder. He’s tied with Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela with 17 Runs Saved for the most by anyone at the position since the start of last season.

    Crow-Armstrong has made a couple of nifty grabs on deep fly balls (like this one).

    He has 5 Runs Saved from his range and 1 Run Saved via a couple of assists (here’s one that wowed the announcers and was overturned to an out on replay review).

     

    Crow-Armstrong’s strong start on defense has helped the Cubs rank second in Runs Saved, trailing only the Rays. His strong start at the plate, with an OPS 170 points higher than his 2024, has buoyed the team as well.

    Other strong contenders for Defensive Player of the Month were Red Sox catcher Carlos Narváez, who leads the position with 6 Runs Saved, shortstop leaders Anthony Volpe, Corey Seager, and Taylor Walls, left field leader Tommy Pham, and Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr.

    Sports Info Solutions has been naming Defensive Players of the Month since 2012 (with ESPN from 2012 to 2017 and then on its own since then), using a combination of statistical analysis and the eye test. Defensive Runs Saved has tracked MLB player defensive value since the 2003 season and is considered one of the industry-leading defensive stats.

  • Are The Cubs A Good Defensive Team?

    Are The Cubs A Good Defensive Team?

    Photo: Keith Gillett/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: 9th

    Strengths

    The Cubs have a lot of defensive strengths, arguably as many as any team in MLB.

    Pete Crow-Armstrong had an abundance of excellent defensive plays and throws in center field last year. He finished tied for 7th with 11 Runs Saved, contended for a Fielding Bible Award, and expectations are high for him in 2025.

    Dansby Swanson finished 2nd in the range component of Runs Saved among shortstops last season, one year after winning a Fielding Bible Award. 

    Swanson’s double play partner Nico Hoerner has been consistently above-average at second base. He’s averaged almost 9 Runs Saved per 1,000 innings there over the last four years.

    Ian Happ has won three straight Gold Gloves in left field, where he ranks second in Runs Saved to Steven Kwan since the start of 2022. Happ has ably braved the elements and frequently sacrificed his body to make good plays.

    Kyle Tucker comes over from Houston to play right field. Tucker has an MLB-best 30 Runs Saved there over the last four seasons, though a chunk of that is tied to an MLB-leading 7 home run robberies. Tucker goes from one of the easiest right fields to steal a home run in Minute Maid Park to a home park in which it’s impossible to rob a homer, Wrigley Field.

    Weaknesses

    Cubs pitchers finished with -9 Runs Saved and the worst range numbers of any pitching staff last season. Their catcher, Miguel Amaya, had good Runs Saved numbers overall. Most of that came from pitch blocking. He threw out 11 of 89 runners attempting to steal (12%).

    Other Things To Know

    A subtle but notable pickup for the Cubs this winter was utility man Jon Berti, who can play anywhere in the infield or outfield if needed (best position by Runs Saved is third base, worst is center field). He’ll be a useful fill-in.

    Matt Shaw’s development at third base is to be determined. Shaw projects as a 55 Overall Future Value on defense from FanGraphs, which praised his “enthusiastic understanding of defense.” Our numbers had him with -6 Runs Saved in the minors last season.

    Are The Cubs A Good Defensive Team?

    Yes and they could be as good as any team in the National League defensively. They should have an excellent outfield and a solid infield.

  • Stat of the Week: 2024’s NL Defensive Stories

    Stat of the Week: 2024’s NL Defensive Stories

    BY MARK SIMON

    With Opening Day approaching, we wanted to preview the 2024 season from a defensive perspective. So to be fair to all 30 teams, we’ve got a stat-driven theme or story to watch for each team. Here’s our look at the National League teams after we did our tour through the American League last week.

    Braves – The Braves were generally average or better through much of their defensive lineup last season. The big exception was shortstop, where Orlando Arcia and Vaughn Grissom didn’t do well. Arcia had -6 Runs Saved last season due to poor range numbers. He is back for another go and looking to return to the form he showed in 2018 when he totaled 8 Runs Saved.

    Brewers – The Brewers ranked 2nd in MLB in Defensive Runs Saved last season but they’ve got some unknowns on this year’s roster with Jackson Chourio in right field and Joey Ortiz at third base. Last year’s Brewers rookies played very well (Brice Turang, Joey Wiemer, Blake Perkins) and the defensive success of this year’s team may hinge on their young players again.

    Cardinals – Nolan Arenado went from overwhelmingly awesome to decidedly average at third base overnight (from 20 Runs Saved in 2022 to 0 in 2023). So the big question this season is whether he can return to the standard-setting level of excellence of years past.

    Cubs – The Cubs have the best double play combination in baseball with shortstop Dansby Swanson and second baseman Nico Hoerner. Given that they also have two-time Gold Glove winner Ian Happ in left field, Mike Tauchman and Cody Bellinger in center field, with Bellinger likely also at first base, the Cubs could be pretty good defensively. They finished tied for 8th in Defensive Runs Saved last season and could better that.

    Diamondbacks – It’s reasonable to suggest that the Diamondbacks are the NL’s best defensive team. They finished 4th in Defensive Runs Saved last year and have very good defenders at catcher (Gabriel Moreno), first base (Christian Walker), and center field (Alek Thomas). Shortstop and third base may determine whether that suggestion becomes reality. Runs Saved has not viewed Geraldo Perdomo or Eugenio Suárez favorably, so those are the positions to watch entering 2024.

    Dodgers – The Dodgers have been a Top 10 team in Defensive Runs Saved in each of the last 8 seasons. They always seem to make the right moves and in 2024 they’re making a bold one by making Mookie Betts their everyday shortstop. Betts, who won the Fielding Bible Award last year for multi-position play, handled second base very well last season. The Dodgers do have some flexibility here. They could move Betts back to second and play one of the game’s best defensive shortstops, Miguel Rojas, if things don’t work out.

    Giants – In theory, the Giants should be a lot better defensively than they were last season. Their 3 weakest defensive positions by Runs Saved were shortstop, third base, and center field. They signed 2 standout infield defenders in Matt Chapman and Nick Ahmed and signed Jung Hoo Lee, who led all KBO center fielders in Runs Saved last season. Those could be a boon to pitchers like Blake Snell and Logan Webb.

    Marlins – What can infield coach Jody Reed do for Tim Anderson? The new Marlins shortstop has totaled -22 Runs Saved the last 2 seasons, which ranks 2nd-worst at the position. Reed will do his best to maximize what Anderson can do. The Marlins ranked as one of the best-positioned infields in MLB last season.

    Mets – One year after signing Brandon Nimmo to a long-term contract, they’ve moved him from center field to left field and attempted to turn a defensive weakness into a strength by signing Harrison Bader as their new primary center fielder. Bader has twice totaled at least 15 Runs Saved in a season in center field. His 5 Runs Saved there the last 2 years are 16 more than Nimmo in that span.

    Nationals – The Nationals have finished 29th and 28th in Runs Saved the last 2 seasons and need a few things to happen in order to improve on that in 2024. One would be to see some improvement from catcher Keibert Ruiz. The Nationals ranked last in MLB in Runs Saved from their catchers. It would also behoove them to find playing time for minor league Gold Glove winner Trey Lipscomb, who can play any of the infield positions (read our interview with him here).

    Padres – Two things: One is whether Fernando Tatis Jr. can replicate his 2023 season, when he blew away everyone else at the position with 29 Runs Saved. Two, the position switch of Xander Bogaerts to second base so as to put their best infield defender, Ha-Seong Kim, at shortstop. Bogaerts has managed a positive Runs Saved total once in the last 10 years. Second base may be a better fit for him but time will tell.

    Phillies – Johan Rojas didn’t have a particularly good spring training with his bat but he’s arguably too valuable to even consider sitting. He’s by far the Phillies’ best defensive player. Rojas ranked 4th in Runs Saved among center fielders despite ranking 37th among them in innings played.

    Pirates – The Pirates ranked 28th in Defensive Runs Saved from their center fielders last season, but that could change significantly if Michael A. Taylor hits enough to stay in the lineup there. Taylor leads all center fielders in Runs Saved over the last 3 seasons.

    Reds – The Reds ranked 27th in Defensive Runs Saved last season. They’re running out most of the same players this season, save for Jeimer Candelario at third base, which could be a small improvement in Defensive Runs Saved. But they may be a bottom-10 team again.

    Rockies – The most watchable thing the Rockies have right now is their defense. They have Fielding Bible Award-caliber players at second base (Brendan Rodgers), shortstop (Ezequiel Tovar), third base (Ryan McMahon), and center field (Brenton Doyle), and a left fielder with a terrific arm (Nolan Jones). This will probably be the team with the biggest difference between the quality of its defense and its win-loss record.

  • The Defense Behind A Chicago Hope

    The Defense Behind A Chicago Hope

    On June 8 the Cubs hit their low point of the season, 10 games under .500 after getting swept by the Angels. They were 26-36, 6 1/2 games out of the wild card.

    I’d like to tell you that the Cubs played a good defensive game the next day. They didn’t. They mishandled a hit, botched a foul pop up and bobbled a slow roller.

    But I can tell you that if we measure from June 9 forward that the Cubs’ playing pretty good defense is a big part of this turnaround.

    The Cubs rank tied for 3rd in Defensive Runs Saved this season after ranking 21st in 2022. They currently have the biggest improvement in Runs Saved ranking from last year to this year.

    Team Defensive Runs Saved
    Blue Jays 61
    Brewers 46
    Cubs 31
    Padres 31

    When we isolate skill and just look at that (in other words, discounting positioning), the Cubs fielders have the second-most Defensive Runs Saved in MLB since June 9 trailing only the Brewers.

    What’s the story of their season from a defensive perspective? There have been two things that have been the biggest keys.

    The middle infield

    The Cubs made it a point to improve their middle-infield defense this offseason. After signing Dansby Swanson to play shortstop and moving Nico Hoerner from shortstop to full-time second base, the Cubs went into the season with arguably the best second base-shortstop combo in MLB.

    It’s lived up to the billing. 

     

    Cubs second basemen and shortstop have combined for 23 Runs Saved, the most in MLB in 2023. Swanson ranks second to Wander Franco in Runs Saved at shortstop with 12. Hoerner has 6 Runs Saved at second base, which ranks tied for 6th, and his fill-ins also have 3 Runs Saved.

    Most Defensive Runs Saved – 2023 Middle Infields

    Team Defensive Runs Saved
    Cubs 23
    Rays 18
    Rangers 12
    Yankees 11
    Orioles 11
    Dodgers 10

    Outfield Improvement

    After spending the first two months of the season with a negative Runs Saved total, 2022 Gold Glove-winning left fielder Ian Happ has turned it around. He has 3 Defensive Runs Saved and a positional high 7 assists without the help of a cutoff man. His 7 Runs Saved in left field since June 9 rank second to Steven Kwan’s 11. 

     

    Though Happ isn’t on pace to match his numbers from 2022, the rest of the Cubs outfield is going to far surpass their totals from what was a rough 2022.

    Cubs center fielders ranked last in MLB last season with -19 Runs Saved and only three teams had a right fielder total worse than the Cubs’ -9. This season, with Cody Bellinger and Mike Tauchman patrolling center, the Cubs have improved their Runs Saved total to -1 Run Saved. 

    An 18-run jump makes a big difference regardless of where you’re starting from. So does the 9-run jump that the Cubs have made in right field thanks to better play from Seiya Suzuki (2 Runs Saved in right field after totaling -4 in his rookie season). And some of the plays these outfielders are making are highly impactful

     The Cubs offense is averaging better than 7 runs per game in the last 23 games. We can’t dispute that it’s the primary reason why the Cubs find themselves in the Wild Card race. But make sure to take note of their defense too, as it has made and can continue to make the difference between winning and losing. 

  • Stat of the Week: Best Teams At Defensing Groundballs & Bunts

    Stat of the Week: Best Teams At Defensing Groundballs & Bunts

    Marcus Stroman was fired up after pitching eight strong innings against the Mets on Wednesday night.

    Stroman and his infield turned 16 of 19 groundballs and bunts into outs, the last two coming when Francisco Álvarez hit into a double play to kill a potential Mets rally.

    The Cubs have shown the best version of themselves with their groundball and bunt defense this season. They’ve turned 76.6% of grounders and bunts into outs, the 3rd-best percentage in the league. Shortstop Dansby Swanson ranks tied for 2nd at his position with 6 Runs Saved.

    The standard setters in this stat have been the Rays, who are converting grounders and bunts into outs at a 78.1% rate. Wander Franco has lived up to his billing this season. He leads all shortstops with 8 Runs Saved.

    The Rays also have one of the top multi-position defenders in baseball in Taylor Walls. Walls has 5 Runs Saved as a third baseman and 2 Runs Saved as a shortstop (along with -1 at second base).

    The other team to take note of is the one in between the Rays and Cubs, the Mets, who rank 2nd in groundball and bunt out rate at 77.4%.

    The Mets have made the biggest improvement in their out rate on grounders and bunts from last season to this season. In 2022, the Mets ranked 26th in this stat, with a 72.1% out rate. Their jump to 2nd comes from an increase in their out rate of just over 5 percentage points.

    What’s particularly interesting about the Mets is that the elimination of the full defensive shift (shifts with 3 infielders on the pull side) may have helped them. Last season, they turned 72% of grounders and bunts hit in full shifts into outs, with, as noted on a recent broadcast, players having difficulty with running into each other because of how closely infielders could be positioned and with making plays from odd angles. That out rate was the lowest rate in the majors.

    As is the case with the Rays and Cubs, the Mets’ shortstop, Francisco Lindor, leads their infielders with 3 Runs Saved.

    MLB season-ending leaders in groundball and bunt out rate tend to finish at around 77 to 78%. The Cardinals and Yankees finished 1-2 last season at 77.3% and 77.2%, respectively. This season, the Cardinals rank 8th (75.1%) while the Yankees have slipped to 19th (73.4%).

    The bottom two teams at turning grounders and bunts into outs this season are the Athletics (69.2%) and Reds (67.8%).

    To illustrate the difference between the team at the top and the team at the bottom, consider this: If the Reds had the Rays out rate on grounders and bunts, they’d have turned 55 more balls into outs than they have this season.

  • Stat of the Week: NL Team Defensive Previews

    Stat of the Week: NL Team Defensive Previews

    BY MARK SIMON

    Continuing what we started last week with the AL, we’ve got a stat-driven defensive theme or story to watch for each NL team. Play ball!

    Braves – We’re curious to see what Michael Harris II’s defensive ceiling is. Harris has already won a Minor League Gold Glove and at times showed the potential to be the best defensive center fielder in MLB. His 8 Runs Saved tied for 4th-most. We wouldn’t be surprised if he led MLB in 2023.

    Brewers – Said manager Craig Counsell of rookie second baseman Brice Turang: “He showed us this camp that he is going to win games playing defense.” Counsell knows of what he speaks. His 30 Runs Saved at second base in 2005 are tied for the most by anyone at the position.

    Cardinals – The most intriguing thing to watch will be how Willson Contreras steps into the shoes of Yadier Molina as the team’s new catcher. Contreras’ throwing and blocking stats are typically top-notch but he’s historically a below-average pitch framer.

    Cubs – The Cubs seemed to prioritize defense in their offseason maneuvers. The team has the potential to be great up-the-middle, as new acquisitions Tucker Barnhart, Dansby Swanson, and Cody Bellinger all come with solid defensive pedigrees and Nico Hoerner’s move from shortstop to second base should be seamless.

    Diamondbacks – The Diamondbacks will start perhaps the fastest outfield in the game with Corbin Carroll in left field, Alek Thomas in center, and Jake McCarthy in right (all three rank Top-50 in 90-foot speed). If the Diamondbacks are going to contend for a playoff spot, they’re going to need these three to turn a lot of potential extra-base hits into outs.

    Dodgers – 53% of ground balls and short line drives versus the Dodgers last season were hit against full infield shifts (those with three defenders on the pull side), the highest rate in MLB. In fact, the Dodgers led the majors in how often they full shifted in each of the last four seasons. They’ll have an adjustment to make to baseball’s new rules.

    Giants – For much of last season, the Giants defense was hard to watch. The team finished last in the majors in Defensive Runs Saved. But if they can play some combo of Mike Yastrzemski, Michael Conforto, Mitch Haniger, and Bryce Johnson in the outfield, their outfield defense should be much improved from the -47 Runs Saved that it combined for last season.

    Marlins – Can Jazz Chisholm make the transition from middle infield to center field without it being too costly defensively? We love Chisholm the athlete, but we’re a little skeptical based on past history of others trying to make the move (which we wrote about).

    Mets – As good as the Mets were last season, they had a defensive weakness. They ranked 26th in turning groundballs and bunts into outs. Francisco Lindor has said he doesn’t like shifts. He had -11 Runs Saved in them last season. He’ll get a chance to play straight-up a lot more in 2023.

    Nationals – The Nationals set a 20-year MLB low for Defensive Runs Saved at shortstop last season (-34). But they looked a lot better once they put C.J. Abrams there and moved Luis Garcia to second base. They’ll get a chance to grow together for a full season in 2023.

    Padres – Fernando Tatis Jr. is going to find a spot somewhere and for now that looks like it will be right field. We know from Tatis’ history at shortstop that he has great arm strength but has a hard time throwing accurately. The Padres and their fans will find out how Tatis acclimates to his new spot together.

    Phillies – Only three teams finished worse in Defensive Runs Saved by their shortstops than the Phillies did last season. They signed Trea Turner for $300 million for his bat and his speed, but watch how his glove should help too. The last two seasons, he’s played exactly average defense at shortstop, which would be a considerable step up for the Phillies.

    Pirates – Oneil Cruz can get outs that other shortstops can’t get because of his arm strength (per Statcast, his throws average nearly 94 MPH – no other shortstop exceeds 90). He just needs to limit his mistakes. On a per-inning basis, he made a lot (4.3 Defensive Misplays & Errors per 100 innings, the 6th-highest rate at the position).

    Reds – With Aristides Aquino now playing in Japan, the Reds are lacking for interesting defensive players, as the ones to watch are in the minors (top prospects Elly De La Cruz and Cam Collier). For now, the attempted bounceback of second baseman Jonathan India (-14 Runs Saved last season) serves as one notable story.

    Rockies – Top prospect Ezequiel Tovar will be the starting shortstop. The position was a problematic one for the Rockies last season (-12 Runs Saved), but the future looks bright. Tovar played close to average shortstop in the minors per our data and Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen gives Tovar a 60 future fielding grade on the 20-80 scouting scale.

  • The Cubs Badly Needed a Defensive Upgrade in CF

    The Cubs Badly Needed a Defensive Upgrade in CF

    The big move for the Cubs this winter was signing free agent shortstop Dansby Swanson to a seven-year deal. But signing Cody Bellinger to a one-year contract to play center field might be the most impactful defensive move in MLB this offseason.

    The Cubs played eight different players in center field last year, with 98% of the innings played by five players – Christopher Morel, Rafael Ortega, Nelson Velázquez, Jason Heyward, and Michael Hermosillo.

    In all, those eight combined for -19 Defensive Runs Saved, which was the worst for any center field group in MLB last season. It was the fourth straight season in which the Cubs had a negative Defensive Runs Saved in center field.

    Each of the five primary center fielders in 2022 had a negative Runs Saved, with Velasquez (-6 in 198 innings) and Morel (-5 in 458 innings) as the two with the worst numbers.

    Cubs center fielders failed to make 37 plays on which their out probability was at least 50%. There was this and this and this and this. There were a combination of late breaks, tough looks at the Wrigley Field sun, hesistancy, failed dives, and balls that were just missed.

    Bellinger was brought in to stabilize the position. He saved 15 runs in a little more than 1,000 innings with his center field defense from 2017 to 2020. The last two seasons, he’s slipped. He’s at -1 Runs Saved in just under 1,900 innings in that time.

    But even so, that’s a huge upgrade from what the Cubs had last season.

    The chart below compares Bellinger’s performance in center field to that of the Cubs in 2022.

    The out rates are defined as the number of times a play was successfully made by Bellinger or the Cubs against a batted ball on which the out probability was greater than 0% (the number of opportunities are in parentheses). Bellinger, was better than Cubs center fielders at making plays in all areas of the field.

    Think of Plays Saved here as similar to Statcast’s Outs Above Average (we’ve tracked Plays Saved back to 2003).  Bellinger made just about as many plays as he was expected to make in center field last season. Cubs center fielders made 18 fewer than expected.

    Bellinger Out Rate Cubs Out Rate
    Shallow 66% (135) 60% (139)
    Medium 89% (153) 80% (196)
    Deep 78% (124) 74% (159)

    However, one thing to keep in mind is that Bellinger could play up to 81 games a year at Dodger Stadium, which plays much differently than Wrigley Field, where the combination of wind and recently installed video boards make playing the outfield a huge challenge. Bellinger has played only six career games in center field in Wrigley (we didn’t notice anything particularly eventful for him in them other than the wind knocking down a few balls that he caught).

    We’ll be learning as he does whether he can handle the position at a high level. The challenges, particularly the wind, will be plenty.

    “It’s just so impactful at Wrigley,” Cubs left fielder Ian Happ said of the wind on The Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast last year. “When we come to the park every day, one of the first things we do is look at which way the flags are blowing. Because Wrigley Field is such an old stadium, it’s so low as far as where that second deck (of stands) is. And it is so open to the elements because the outfield bleachers are so low.

    “You think of Yankee Stadium as a massive cathedral where no wind can possibly get in. At Wrigley Field, it’s open air and the wind has an impact on the flight of the baseballs like nowhere else because it whips right off the lake. We’re looking at balls hit 108 MPH at 25 degrees that aren’t going out of the park one day, then balls hit at 92 and 35 that might go out of the park on another day. It’s an interesting field to play it because it can play so totally different every day.”

    The Cubs have placed an emphasis on up-the-middle defense this offseason, adding Swanson, Bellinger, and catcher Tucker Barnhart, and moving standout defender Nico Hoerner from shortstop to second base. If Bellinger can manage Wrigley’s elements and just be what he was defensively there in Los Angeles, he could notably impact the team’s win total for 2023.