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  • What’s Happening To The Advantage For Right-Handed Batters vs Left-Handed Pitchers?

    What’s Happening To The Advantage For Right-Handed Batters vs Left-Handed Pitchers?

    There’s something going on within baseball right now for which I don’t have a good explanation. I’ve shared it with a few statistically-inclined friends of the company and I’m hoping they’ll be able to suss out the reasons for this.

    For now, I’m just going to point out what’s going on because I don’t know if it’s just a small-sample anomaly or something bigger.

    In a sentence: Right-handed batters are having a much rougher go of it against left-handed pitching than they typically do.

    In a table:

    Right-Handed Batters vs Left-Handed Pitchers – Last 5 Seasons

      BA OBP Slug Pct
    2021 .257 .328 .438
    2022 .252 .320 .416
    2023 .259 .326 .434
    2024 .249 .318 .410
    March-May 2025 .243 .313 .385

    Note the extreme drop-off from 2023 to the first two months of 2025. That doesn’t exist if we flip things and look at left-handed batters versus right-handed pitching.

    The gap between those hitter results in 2023 and the start of 2025 is 2 points of batting average (instead of 16), 2 points of on-base percentage (instead of 13) and 10 points of slugging percentage (instead of 49). Ten points is a deficit that could be made up as the weather gets warmer and offense increases. Forty-nine points of slugging percentage is a bigger crater.

    Let’s look at this from a more micro perspective.

    Yankees right-handed batters are hitting .304/.398/.535 against left-handed pitching for a league-leading .952 OPS and a large chunk of that is obviously Aaron Judge (.444/.565/1.111 in 46 plate appearances). But it’s also Paul Goldschmidt (24-for-45 with 10 walks) and Anthony Volpe (.328 BA, .929 OPS).

    And Yankees left-handed pitchers are dominating right-handed hitters, holding them to a .191 opponents’ batting average (2nd-lowest) and .562 opponents’ OPS (lowest). Carlos Rodón (.153 BA allowed, .499 OPS) and Max Fried (.207 BA, .521 OPS) are dominating. Ryan Yarbrough (.177 BA, .604 OPS) has been pretty good too.

    Meanwhile Orioles right-handed batters collectively have MLB worsts in batting average (.199) and OPS (.540). against southpaw pitching. There’s a six-player group with a smattering of 72 plate appearances headed by Tyler O’Neill and Gary Sánchez that is a combined 4-for-63.

    And Orioles left-handed pitchers have allowed the 3rd-highest batting average (.283) and OPS (.821) to right-handed hitters (Cade Povich and Cionel Pérez have been especially ineffective).

    I also want to give a shout-out to the left-handed relief pitchers who are thriving against right-handed hitters. We’re only a few years into the three-batter rule that all but eliminated the existence of the LOOGY. Lefty relievers wanting to stick around know they have to be really good against right-handed hitters.

    You may not know their names, but you should know their stats. Brendon Little (Blue Jays), Mason Fluharty (Blue Jays), Steven Okert (Astros), Garrett Cleavinger (Rays), Danny Coulombe (Twins), Yuki Matsui (Padres), Bryan King (Astros) and Brennan Bernardino (Red Sox) have the eight lowest opponents’ batting averages against right-handed hitters.

    Combined, right-handed batters are hitting .136 and slugging .211 against that group, with specialty pitches such as King’s sweeper and Matsui’s splitter repeatedly shutting hitters down. They are a small piece but nonetheless an interesting one to consider in trying to figure out what the heck is going on with this trend at the moment.

    If you want to see stats for right-handed hitters versus left-handed pitchers, click the links to see them on Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs.

  • The Yankees Pitchers Are Runs Savers

    The Yankees Pitchers Are Runs Savers

    Photo: Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire

    Pitcher defense is one of those things where it’s hard to gauge if your team is doing well or doing poorly just based on the eye test. That’s where something like Defensive Runs Saved comes in handy.

    Let’s use the 2024 and 2025 Yankees as an example. This year, their pitchers are doing well, leading the majors with 11 Runs Saved. Last year, they did poorly, finishing with -9 Runs Saved. Only five teams fared worse.

    Their pitchers have been as valuable as almost any defensive unit in MLB.

    Most Defensive Runs Saved – Position Group in 2025

    Position Group Runs Saved
    Rays shortstops 17
    Braves first basemen 12
    Yankees pitchers 11
    Cubs second basemen 11
    Dodgers right fielders 10

    So what does “doing well” in pitcher defense look like?

    It’s a mix of this

    This

     

    And this

    The two pitchers in those videos are a big part of the turnaround. Offseason signee Max Fried‘s 4 Runs Saved are tied for the MLB lead. Reliever Tim Hill somehow ranks 9th among pitchers with 10 assists despite ranking tied for 235th in innings pitched.

    Fried is a baserunning eraser. He has 3 pickoffs and 3 pitcher caught stealings. Add that to 9 assists on batted balls and his 15 assists are the most in MLB entering Tuesday and only 3 shy of the most by a Yankees pitcher in 2024.

    The Yankees lead the majors in pitcher assists as well, as yes, part of the Yankees success is in their pitchers having had the most opportunities to make plays. They’ve done this without an abundance of mistakes. Their 6 Defensive Misplays & Errors rank tied for 10th in MLB. And it’s not just Fried and Hill. Their other pitchers have combined for 4 Runs Saved between them.

    Another component to the Yankees defensive numbers is attrition- the Yankees had 6 pitchers who finished the season with -2 Runs Saved apiece in 2024- Gerrit Cole, Marcus Stroman, Dennis Santana, Phil Bickford, Tom Kahnle, and Clay Holmes. That’s six pitchers combining for -12 Runs Saved. The only one of those to throw a pitch for the Yankees in 2025 is Stroman and he’s pitched only 9 innings.

    The payoff for good pitcher defense is this: The Yankees rank tied for 5th in the majors overall in Defensive Runs Saved. No one wanted to talk about the Yankees’ defense after the disastrous end to the 2024 World Series, but with their pitching staff’s help there hasn’t been a carryover effect this season.

    Most Defensive Runs Saved – 2025 Season

    Team Defensive Runs Saved
    Braves 38
    Rays 36
    Rangers 33
    Blue Jays 31
    Yankees 24
    Cardinals 24

     

  • Are The Yankees A Good Defensive Team?

    Are The Yankees A Good Defensive Team?

    Photo: Brian Spurlock/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: 12th

    Team Strengths

    Anthony Volpe has been a very good defensive shortstop in his first two seasons in the majors, with a Gold Glove Award already to his credit. 

    Most Defensive Runs Saved – Shortstops, Last 2 Seasons

    Player Runs Saved
    Dansby Swanson 24
    Ezequiel Tovar 22
    Anthony Volpe 21
    Miguel Rojas  20

    Austin Wells had a very good defensive season in 2024, particularly at pitch framing. He’ll be shouldering much of the coaching load with Jose Trevino having been traded to the Reds.  

    Aaron Judge moves back to his best position right field. He could be a big strength if healthy, which is a big if. He’s not the same fielder he was in his prime days, 2018 and 2019, when he had 18 and 21 runs saved, respectively, to lead the majors.

    Oswaldo Cabrera could see a lot of time at third base this season and that was the best place for him defensively last year. He totaled 7 Runs Saved in about a half-season there. 

    Jazz Chisholm returns to his best defensive spot, second base. He’s totaled 6 Runs Saved there in the equivalent of about a season’s worth of games for his career.

    Team Weaknesses

    The Yankees are currently aligned such that they could play someone average or better at every spot in the field. The only spot that might be an issue is left field with Jasson Dominguez. In 58 games of minor league sample the last two seasons, Dominguez had -4 Runs Saved there.

    Other things to know

    Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger are wild cards here. Goldschmidt has a longstanding history as a good defensive first baseman. But he’s 37 now and looked to be in decline last year. Bellinger is only 30. He looked like he was going to be a very good defensive center fielder early in his career (he won a Fielding Bible Award in right field too) but performed as an average one in Runs Saved in his time with the Cubs.

    Are The Yankees A Good Defensive Team?

    Yes. They could be a very good one. That’s not to say what happened in a couple of innings in the World Series couldn’t repeat itself in isolated circumstances, but the Yankees should be well equipped to prevent that.

  • Stat of the Week: New Year’s Resolutions With A Defensive Twist

    Stat of the Week: New Year’s Resolutions With A Defensive Twist

    Photos: Nick Wosika (left), Charles Brock (right)/Icon Sportswire

    It’s the middle of January and most of us have probably broken or abandoned our New Year’s Resolutions by now. But the subject (and a lack of notable transactions recently) got me to thinking about defense-minded New Year’s Resolutions for 2025.

    Here are a few that came to mind:

    For Corbin Burnes: I will do my part to hold baserunners better

    Corbin Burnes allowed an MLB-high 41 stolen bases last season, more than double his prior career high of 18. This was an issue regardless of whether Adley Rutschman or James McCann was catching him. Burnes’ average time to the plate was about .13 seconds slower in 2024 than it was in 2023 and he ranked in the bottom 10% of pitchers in that stat last season.

    This season, he’ll primarily be throwing to one of MLB’s best defensive catchers, Gabriel Moreno of the Diamondbacks. Moreno won a Fielding Bible Award two years ago, largely on the strength of his limiting basestealing. Last year, Moreno allowed 40 stolen bases, one fewer than Burnes, catching almost 550 more innings than Burnes pitched.

    For Aaron Judge: I won’t let my World Series blunder impact my return to form in right field

    Aaron Judge had such a ridiculous season as a hitter that it overshadowed his poor defensive numbers in center field (-9 Runs Saved). Judge’s center field defense came back to get him in the World Series, when he dropped a fly ball during the Dodgers’ five-run rally in the fifth inning of the series-clinching Game 5.

    With the Yankees signing Cody Bellinger and losing Juan Soto to the Mets, Judge will move back to right field, a position where he’s twice led the majors in Runs Saved and won a Fielding Bible Award, albeit as a younger player. Judge turns 33 in April and has dealt with injuries that have slowed his defensive game down. So, he’ll be challenged by more than just the stigma of that one miscue.

    For Willy Adames: I’ll fix my forehand

    Willy Adames went from being a reliable shortstop to a defensive issue last season. He totaled an MLB-worst -16 Defensive Runs Saved at shortstop.

    Adames had the same number of touches on his forehand (balls he touched in the field) in 2024 as he had in 2023 but was successful in recording at least one out 20 fewer times. He went from being one of the best defenders on those balls to one of the worst.

    Adames is now on a team that is hungry for good defense at the position. The Giants have gotten -38 Runs Saved at shortstop the last three seasons, the second-worst total in MLB.

    For the Minnesota Twins: We’ll have a better backup plan

    The Twins got exposed defensively when some of their regular players went down with injuries or didn’t play. Byron Buxton had 2 Runs Saved in the 94 games he played in center field. The Twins got -11 Runs Saved at the position when he didn’t play. There was a similar issue at shortstop with Carlos Correa and his injury replacements as well.

    One problem for the Twins was that though they had good defensive versatility with Willi Castro and Austin Martin, those players didn’t perform at a high level relative to their peers. Castro totaled -18 Runs Saved split between five positions. Martin had -13 split between left and center field (we should note he was a rookie and was drafted as an infielder).

    The Twins haven’t had a particularly active offseason but there’s still time to attack these issues if they choose.

  • Stat of the Week: Most Runs Saved At One Position (Teams)

    Stat of the Week: Most Runs Saved At One Position (Teams)

    Photo: Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire

    Last week we looked at the overall Defensive Runs Saved leaderboard from an individual player perspective.

    But in 2024, there are a lot of teams using platoons or timeshares due to injury or other reasons that have been highly productive defensively.

    So rather than look at which players are contributing the most defensive value to their team, let’s look at a team’s positional group and see which have the most Runs Saved. This ranking could be largely the work of one player but often it’s the work of more than one.

    Diamondbacks second base (12 Runs Saved) – Our team leader isn’t the product of a timeshare so much as it is one guy who’s been really good, Ketel Marte. He has been great, leading all NL players in bWAR thanks in part to 11 Runs Saved at second. His teammates who have filled in on occasion have combined for 1.

    Yankees catcher (11 Runs Saved) – The Yankees have two excellent defensive catchers in Jose Trevino (7 Runs Saved) and Austin Wells (4 Runs Saved), who have split time almost equally. They’ve earned their value with their pitch framing this season. Trevino ranks tied for 2nd in our stat that measures that, Strike Zone Runs Saved. Wells is tied for 5th.

    Dodgers right field (11 Runs Saved) – This has been a true group effort between Andy Pages (5 Runs Saved), Jason Heyward (3 Runs Saved), and Teoscar Hernández (3 Runs Saved). The Dodgers have had their problems defensively in center field and left field, but this combination in right field – as odd as it is to say – probably matches or betters what Mookie Betts would have been doing had he not moved to the infield.

    Red Sox center field (11 Runs Saved) – Circumstance has resulted in a time split here between Ceddanne Rafaela (5 Runs Saved), who also plays three infield positions, and Jarren Duran (6 Runs Saved) ,who also plays left field and ranks among the overall leaders in Runs Saved. Both are standout athletes who have handled center field well so far. Red Sox outfielders lead the majors with 25 Runs Saved.

    Blue Jays center field (10 Runs Saved) – The Blue Jays are fortunate enough to have an outfield with three players capable of playing center field well in Kevin Kiermaier, Daulton Varsho, and George Springer. Kiermaier (4 Runs Saved) and Varsho (5 Runs Saved) have split time there due to Kiermaier’s hip injury. Springer filled in once and his 4 putouts that day were good enough to be credited with 1 Run Saved.

    Phillies left field (10 Runs Saved) – The Phillies have played 6 players there this season with Brandon Marsh (5 Runs Saved) getting the most innings. But when he doesn’t play, the Phillies have capable alternatives in Cristian Pache (3 Runs Saved), David Dahl (2 Runs Saved), and Whit Merrifield (0 Runs Saved). Most importantly, defensive liability Kyle Schwarber has played only one game there this season.

    Royals pitchers (10 Runs Saved) – Seth Lugo, Daniel Lynch, and Cole Ragans each have 2 Runs Saved and a bunch of pitchers have 1. The Runs Saved are a product of two things: fielding batted balls (their pitchers have combined for 10 more plays made than expected) and doing their part in conjunction with their catchers to limit stolen bases (the Royals have caught 14 of 36 would-be basestealers).

    Royals second base (9 Runs Saved) – We wrote about this group earlier this week. Michael Massey (3 Runs Saved), Nick Loftin (3 Runs Saved), Adam Frazier (2 Runs Saved), and Garrett Hampson (1 Run Saved) have all been good playmakers who have flipped the position’s -9 Runs Saved last year around.

    Rangers second base (9 Runs Saved) – This is one of the other instances of one player driving the total and that’s because when their best defensive player, Marcus Semien, misses a game, it’s a story. Semien, who plays just about every day, has 10 Runs Saved this season. He’s battling Marte for the position lead.

    Rangers shortstop (9 Runs Saved) – You might think this was one player too, but it isn’t just Corey Seager and his 5 Runs Saved. It’s also our most recent podcast guest, utility man Josh Smith, who has been highly adept at turning double plays and has 4 Runs Saved in limited action there.

  • Stat of the Week: AL Defensive Stories In 2024

    Stat of the Week: AL Defensive Stories In 2024

    Photo: Chris Leduc/Icon Sportswire

    BY MARK SIMON

    With Opening Day approaching, we wanted to preview the 2023 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. We’ll do the AL teams this week, the NL next week.

    Angels – The Angels ranked 19th in Defensive Runs Saved last season and didn’t make any significant improvements on the defensive side. Mike Trout hasn’t been moved off center field but Mickey Moniak fared well there when Trout was out, so it’s worth wondering if anything could happen on that front in 2024. For now, Trout is in center field and Moniak is in right field.

     

    Astros – The Astros finished 17th in Defensive Runs Saved last season but have the capability to be better than that, given a roster of players with good track records (Kyle Tucker, Chas McCormick, Jake Meyers, Alex Bregman). The thing to watch will be a potential trouble spot, the right side of their infield, in particular José Altuve, who has totaled a positional-worst -28 Runs Saved over the last 2 seasons.

     

    Athletics – The A’s best defensive player is shortstop Nick Allen, who has saved 9 Runs in a little over 1,300 innings at the position the last 2 seasons. If his bat keeps him on the field, he’s Oakland’s best shot at a Fielding Bible Award.

     

    Blue Jays – The Jays are basically running it back from last season, when they led the majors in Runs Saved. The only exception is third base where Isiah Kiner-Falefa is slated to be the primary replacement for Matt Chapman. IKF has a very good history at the position so if he plays (likely contingent on how he hits), the drop-off at that position might be very small and the Blue Jays could again contend to be the top defensive team.

     

    Guardians – The Guardians have 3 outfielders who are capable of winning a Fielding Bible Award. Left fielder Steven Kwan already has two. Myles Straw came close. And Ramón Laureano has a great history in right field in a little more than a season’s worth of innings. The Guardians, in the eyes of some, are MLB’s top defensive team entering the season.

     

    Mariners – The Mariners have a couple of players who have contended for or won Gold Gloves in the past but didn’t put up the best defensive numbers last season. We’re referring to first baseman Ty France and shortstop J.P. Crawford. For the Mariners to contend, it would help if they excelled at their respective spots.

     

    Orioles – The Orioles ranked tied for 6th in Defensive Runs Saved last season because they were basically average or better at every position. They’re capable of matching that with their current roster particularly because they have 2 defensive standouts, Ramón Urias and Jorge Mateo who can come in late in games if needed for youngsters Jordan Westburg at third base and top prospect Jackson Holliday at second base.

     

    Rangers – After looking great in the 2023 postseason, making several highlight-reel plays, Josh Jung could step up a level defensively. He may become one of the game’s elite defenders in 2024.

     

    Rays – Rays shortstops tied for the MLB lead with 19 Runs Saved last season. With Wander Franco in significant legal trouble and Taylor Walls injured, will new acquisition José Caballero perform at a high level? Caballero looked the part at both middle infield spots last season and he seems like a good fit on a team that typically maximizes the talent of its roster.

     

    Red Sox – There’s a lot to watch throughout the Red Sox outfield. They’ll have a new player standing in front of the Green Monster in left fielder Tyler O’Neill, who won the Fielding Bible Award at that position in 2020 and 2021. Rookie Ceddanne Rafaela will be the center fielder. Jarren Duran, who played mostly center field and left field the last two seasons, will now try right field. It will be interesting to see how all three mesh in Fenway Park.

     

    Royals – Bobby Witt Jr. was one of the most improved defensive players in MLB in 2023. Is he capable of making the jump to being one of the top shortstops by Defensive Runs Saved?

     

    Tigers – Tigers third basemen combined to have the worst Runs Saved total of any infield position. The addition of Gio Urshela should make things considerably better there. And we’ll see how things shake out with rookies Parker Meadows and Colt Keith and how well they fare at center field and second base.

     

    Twins – After a year away from center field, Byron Buxton is going to return to playing the position in 2024. When healthy, Buxton is as good as it gets in center field. But his injury history is a concern. The Twins are ready for potential issues though with Manuel Margot available to back up at multiple spots.

     

    White Sox – The White Sox ranked 29th in Runs Saved last season, so they have nowhere to go but up. Their weakest spots included right field, where for now they have newcomer Dominic Fletcher, and shortstop, which will be manned by Paul DeJong. They’ll also have a new catching tandem in Martín Maldonado and Max Stassi. Maldonado has something to prove after a career-worst -10 Runs Saved in 2023.

     

    Yankees – The Yankees’ outfield Runs Saved numbers last season were among the worst in MLB. How will that change in 2024? They’ve got two new acquisitions to acclimate in Alex Verdugo (typically a good defender) and Juan Soto (typically not as good), and they’re giving Aaron Judge another try in center field, where he’s rated basically as average in the past.

  • Stat of the Week: The Availability Of The Yankees Outfield Additions

    Stat of the Week: The Availability Of The Yankees Outfield Additions

    We often talk about innings eaters when it comes to a pitching staff. What about the innings eaters among position players? Specifically pertinent to today, let’s talk about innings-eating outfielders.

    These are the players who have logged the most innings in the outfield over the last 4 seasons.

    Most Innings Played In Outfield – Last 4 Seasons

    Player Innings
    Juan Soto 4,202
    Kyle Tucker 4,159
    Alex Verdugo 4,086
    Myles Straw 4,068
    Ian Happ 4,023
    Trent Grisham 3,959

    What’s interesting here is that the Yankees just traded for 3 of the players on this list: Juan Soto, Alex Verdugo, and Trent Grisham.

    Soto’s performance speaks for itself. He’s an elite offensive player with 35-homer power and one of the best batting eyes in the sport. What’s scary is that he’s only 25 years old, is entering his walk season, and may not have peaked yet. As good as he was in 2023, he was only a 5.5 bWAR player. He has room to be better as a baserunner and fielder, two areas in which he ranked below average in 2023.

    Verdugo may have gotten benched by the Red Sox last year for lack of hustle but he still found his way onto the field for 142 games. He’s basically been an average hitter by OPS+ standards and an average player by bWAR standards the last 3 seasons. But being consistently average has value because it usually means that below-average options were kept off the field.

    Grisham is an interesting one. The last 2 seasons he’s hit .184 with a .626 OPS and .198 with a .666 OPS, respectively. But he also played 148 and 153 games in the field in those two seasons. He’s clearly valued for his defense and his baserunning. He ranks 5th in Defensive Runs Saved among center fielders over the last 4 seasons and ranks 4th in our Baserunning Gain stat over the last 2 seasons, which measures how often a runner takes an extra base, how often he makes outs on the bases, and how he fares at avoiding double plays.

    Verdugo and Grisham won’t have to be everyday players in the Yankees lineup so long as both Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are healthy. But one of the key reasons Grisham is a desirable option is how often Judge and Stanton have missed time. Judge played only 106 games last season (and DH’d in 38 of them). Stanton rarely plays the outfield anymore, only 71 games the last 2 seasons.

    The Yankees essentially took care of two needs with this combination of deals. One is that they needed better players than they had last season, when their outfield ranked last in Wins Above Average. They got that, with Soto being the marquee addition. But they also needed players with a track record of simply playing, and though past performance doesn’t guarantee future results, they did well in acquiring that as well.

  • Yankees and Astros Both Make Defensive Upgrades

    Yankees and Astros Both Make Defensive Upgrades

    That the Yankees finished 10th in MLB in Defensive Runs Saved disguised a significant defensive issue. Their corner outfielders rated terribly in that stat last season.

    The Yankees’ left fielders finished with -14 Runs Saved and their right fielders finished with -14 Runs Saved. They ranked tied for last with the Phillies in left field and next-to-last ahead of only the White Sox in right field.

    It was a rough go for almost everyone. The only one of their 10 left fielders to finish with a positive Runs Saved was Everson Pereira (2 Runs Saved in 27 games). None of their 9 right fielders finished with a positive Runs Saved total, not even usual standout Aaron Judge, who tallied -3 in his 54 games there.

    The eye test vindicates the numbers. There were plenty of just misses, miscommunications, and bad botches to go around.

    That’s why the acquisition of Alex Verdugo in a trade from the Red Sox was significant. Verdugo had fallen out of favor in Boston and was benched once due to what manager Alex Cora termed a lack of hustle. But his defensive numbers are good.

    Verdugo had 9 Runs Saved in right field last season, tied for second at the position. He also has a strong track record in right field with 21 Runs Saved in just over 1,900 career innings, though he totaled 0 as the Red Sox most-used left fielder in 2022. Still, 0 would be a major upgrade over what the Yankees had in 2023.

    Verdugo should play one of those two spots regularly depending on whether the Yankees make a bigger acquisition like Juan Soto.

    —

    Another team to make a defensive upgrade was the Astros, who agreed to a deal with catcher Victor Caratini to a 2-year contract. Caratini replaces the team’s primary starting catcher the last 3 seasons, Martín Maldonado, though he’s projected as the backup to Yainer Diaz.

    Maldonado was both a fan favorite and a pitcher favorite who won a Fielding Bible Award in 2017. He was beloved by Astros manager Dusty Baker for his pitching staff work. We don’t dispute that on his best days he was very good. But it’s fair to wonder what he’s got left. Maldonado totaled -10 Runs Saved last season. He still rated as a good pitch blocker, but by our pitch framing stat (Strike Zone Runs Saved), he ranked next-to-last among catchers.

    Caratini has a considerable defensive flaw. He threw out only 3-of-47 runners attempting to steal last season. But even with that, he still got to 0 Runs Saved last season and had 2 Runs Saved in 2022. He’s an adept pitch framer. Over the last 2 seasons he ranks 8th in Strike Zone Runs Saved per 1,000 innings among the 40 catchers who caught the most. 

    Diaz will get an increase in playing time. He totaled 4 Runs Saved in roughly 400 innings last season. Within that small sample, he had the highest block rate on potential wild pitches (96.2%) and totaled 3 Runs Saved for stolen base prevention (only 4 catchers had more). 

    Like Maldonado, Diaz didn’t fare well in pitch framing but Diaz did enough other things his total defensive package was a positive. He finished the season with 4 Runs Saved. Diaz and Caratini bode – at least on paper – as a better defensive combination than the Astros had last season.

  • It’s Early … But A Few Thoughts on Team Defensive Runs Saved Leaders

    It’s Early … But A Few Thoughts on Team Defensive Runs Saved Leaders

    It’s early!

    We’ve heard and read a lot of references to Defensive Runs Saved in the first couple of weeks and that’s great. We appreciate our data being consumed.

    But looking at Defensive Runs Saved numbers now is kind of like looking at a hitter who is 15-for-45 or a team that is 9-6 to start the year. You hope it means something, and if the track record is good, you think it’s going to mean something, but you can’t attach much certainty to it.

    Nonetheless, the small sample size does give you at least a small indication of what did happen and from that, we can make a few observations.

    You can find the team leaders in Defensive Runs Saved here and the individual leaders here at FieldingBible.com.

    In the meantime, here’s a look at some of the top teams in the stat so far.

    Diamondbacks

    The Diamondbacks have been gobbling up ground balls and bunts at the highest rate of any team, 80.4% (the season leader usually ends up at 77-78%). Let’s not forget that they have two Fielding Bible Award winners out there in first baseman Christian Walker and shortstop Nick Ahmed and fellow shortstop Geraldo Perdomo is off to a good start.

    But it’s not just that.

    Arizona has not just run rampant on the bases (18-of-20 in stolen base attempts), it has shut down the opposing running game. Gabriel Moreno hasn’t hit, but he’s thrown out 4-of-7 attempted basestealers.

    Brewers

    A couple of things have happened here. For one, catcher William Contreras looks a lot better than he did the last two seasons, when he combined for -6 Strike Zone Runs Saved (our framing metric). He’s been stealing strikes very well so far.

    For another, the Brewers outfielders – specifically Joey Wiemer, Garrett Mitchell, and Christian Yelich – have made some nifty catches. Wiemer in particular has 5 Good Fielding Plays, 3 on catches, 2 on throws.

    Blue Jays

    Before the season started, we noted that the Blue Jays had an abundance of defensive talent, albeit aging defensive talent.

    Center fielder Kevin Kiermaier was one of those guys. He’s looked pretty spry, as has a younger guy, outfielder Daulton Varsho.

    And Vladimir Guerrero has shown that his improvements last season are no fluke.

    Twins

    There’s not a lot of flash or pizazz out there. The Twins have the fewest Good Fielding Plays in MLB. But they also have the lowest opponents’ batting average on balls in play.

    Twins outfielders have the best out rate on fly balls and line drives in MLB. They’ve caught what they’re supposed to and maybe a couple that they weren’t supposed to.

    Additionally, catcher Christian Vazquez came with a sterling defensive reputation and he hasn’t disappointed. Twins pitchers have a 2.20 ERA and a nearly 5-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio with Vazquez catching.

    Mets

    Defensive Runs Saved didn’t rate Francisco Lindor well last season, largely attributing that to how he fared when the Mets used a defensive shift.

    This year, with full shifts (3 infielders on the pull side of second base) abolished and the Mets using partial shifts (2 infielders moved distinctly from straight-up positioning) less often than they used any shift last season, Lindor has thrived. He’s made a host of good plays on ground balls and line drives.

    The Mets have turned grounders and bunts into outs at an 80.3% rate, which ranks 3rd in MLB, a smidge behind the Diamondbacks and Yankees.

    Yankees

    Speaking of ground ball defense, the Yankees are off to a great start after finishing second in ground ball and bunt out rate last season. As noted above, they rank second this year as well. Anthony Volpe has had a few bumps but has handled shortstop alright so far.

    At the corners, Anthony Rizzo has played his usual solid first base and displaced and maligned shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa has slid back to third base to fill in for Josh Donaldson’s injury without issue.

    Mariners

    If you had Teoscar Hernández as the Mariners’ best defensive player before the season started, congratulations. He’s never finished with a positive season in Defensive Runs Saved but is off to a great start this year and is basically the reason why we’re even acknowledging Seattle here. He’s already got an MLB-best 7 Good Fielding Plays (he totaled 10 last season) and has 3 assists without the cutoff man.

    As Mariners broadcaster Dave Sims says here, “Well done!”

    You’d like to believe that this is the start of a defensive renaissance for him but, as we noted it the beginning of the piece, it’s way too early to determine if that’s the case.

     

  • 2023 MLB Defensive Preview: American League

    2023 MLB Defensive Preview: American League

    BY MARK SIMON

    With Opening Day approaching, we wanted to preview the 2023 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. We’ll do the AL teams this week, the NL next week.

    Angels – The Angels have a good defensive group for use at the end of games in catcher Max Stassi (one of the best pitch framers in MLB), infielder Gio Urshela, and outfielder Brett Phillips (as good as it gets on a per-inning basis in right field). The question becomes whether they’ll have enough leads at the end of games to make a full-scale deployment of those defensive resources relevant.

    Astros – The Astros led MLB in Defensive Runs Saved from their outfielders last season and should again be up among the leaders in 2023. With shifts out of the picture, we’re curious how the infield will fare, particularly on the right side with 36-year-old first baseman José Abreu and (currently injured) second baseman José Altuve. The latter ranked last in Runs Saved by a second baseman last season.

    Athletics – If Nick Allen can hit enough to stay in the lineup look out. He might be a dark horse for a Fielding Bible Award. He saved 6 Runs in ~500 innings at shortstop in 2022.

    Blue Jays – If every “if” goes their way, the Blue Jays could have the best defensive team in MLB. Those “ifs” center around second baseman Whit Merrifield, third baseman Matt Chapman, and center fielder Kevin Kiermaier. If each can defy age and play to the capabilities of their past Fielding Bible Award-winning seasons, Toronto will have highlight shows on defense almost every night.

    Guardians – The Guardians could also be the best defensive team in baseball. They return two 2022 Fielding Bible Award winners in left fielder Steven Kwan and center fielder Myles Straw, and a runner-up, second baseman Andrés Giménez.

    Mariners – We previously wrote about Julio Rodríguez and how he’s shown the potential to be a great defender, so long as he doesn’t overtax his body (he ranked 6th in sliding, diving, and jumping catches for outfielders in 2022). We look forward to seeing what he looks like in 2023

    Orioles – Just how good are Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson? Rutschman ranked second among catchers in Defensive Runs Saved in 2022 and easily led catchers in DRS after the All-Star Break. He could be a Fielding Bible Award winner for years to come. Henderson could play shortstop or third base. His minor league numbers indicate he’s a better fit at third.

    Rangers – Can the Rangers provide the defensive support needed behind a starting rotation that has been remade from 1-to-5 the last two years? The Rangers should be solid at second base (Marcus Semien), right field (Adolis García) and catcher (Jonah Heim) but have regulars who rate below average at first base (Nathaniel Lowe) and shortstop (Corey Seager). 

    Rays – Left fielder Randy Arozarena was an impactful defender as a rookie in 2021 (7 Runs Saved), less so in 2022 (-4). Do any vibes from his play in the World Baseball Classic carry over to Tampa Bay for 2023?

    Red Sox – Andrea Arcidipane nailed it on the latest SIS Baseball Podcast – Adam Duvall playing center field full time at age 34, with half his games in Fenway Park, will be an interesting challenge. To his credit, Duvall has 4 Runs Saved in ~600 career innings in center, so the move could turn out alright.

    Royals – Bobby Witt Jr. ranked last among shortstops in Runs Saved last season. Will he make the adjustments needed in Year 2 or is a position switch to third base in his future?

    Tigers – Javier Báez’s defense disappointed big time in what was a miserable season for the Tigers. His -4 Runs Saved at shortstop were a career worst. Is he capable of returning to the form he had in 2020 and 2021, when he combined for 9 Runs Saved there?

    Twins – We have to ask, right? How healthy is Carlos Correa and is he capable of returning to the level of play that netted him a Fielding Bible Award and a Platinum Glove in 2021? Correa had potential deals with the Giants and Mets snuffed by injury concerns. We’ll see how he holds up with Minnesota.

    White Sox – New manager Pedro Grifol has promised better attention to detail all around in 2023. So we’re looking for that on the defensive end. The White Sox need it. They ranked T-26th in Defensive Runs Saved last season and didn’t get positive Runs Saved from any position on the field. They’ll shift some parts around, with Andrew Vaughn moving to first base full-time and Elvis Andrus playing second base for the first time as an MLB player.

    Yankees – What can they do for an encore? The Yankees led MLB in Runs Saved in 2022 and it wasn’t close. They return almost the same position player roster that they had last season, so they should still be very good. No team has led the majors in Runs Saved in back-to-back seasons.