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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.

     

  • 2025 Defensive Team of the Year: Chicago Cubs

    2025 Defensive Team of the Year: Chicago Cubs

    Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire

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

    That’s what I wrote in March in our season previews of all 30 teams and I could write the same thing today. Except I’d get rid of “arguably.”

    The Cubs are SIS’ inaugural Defensive Team of the Year, which was voted on as part of this year’s Fielding Bible Awards.

    The Cubs were the only team to have a positive Defensive Runs Saved at eight of the nine positions in the field (the exception was right field where injuries had Kyle Tucker not up to his usual standards). They had a Fielding Bible Award winner (second baseman Nico Hoerner), a runner-up (center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong), two third-place finishers (left fielder Ian Happ and pitcher Matthew Boyd), and a fourth-place finisher (third baseman Matt Shaw). The team finished second in Defensive Runs Saved overall and also had the second-most Runs Saved from the skill of their players (factoring out defensive positioning).

    As Nico Hoerner pointed out in our interview with him, the Cubs defense gets it done in a lot of different ways.

    Hoerner, coming off offseason elbow surgery, was undaunted by it. He specialized in making plays on balls hit up the middle. He had more plays saved going to his right than any other infielder in MLB.

    Crow-Armstrong had a long list of highlight-reel catches and was at his best the deeper balls were hit.

    Happ, a three-time Gold Glove winner, had the second-lowest baserunner advance rate of any left fielder last season.

    Boyd easily led the majors with 11 pickoffs.

    Shaw didn’t disappoint as a rookie and was a solid all-around fielder.

    The Cubs players acknowledge that the success came from feeding off each other.

    “There were times where I felt like our defense was really suffocating,” Happ said a few days ago. “Our pitchers would pitch to contact, nothing would fall and it put pressure on the other team. It felt like every time we had a chance to make a play, we were doing it.”

    Said Hoerner in our interview with him on The SIS Baseball Podcast: “There’s something about being around guys who were doing it at a really high level that holds a group to a high standard. It was a point of pride.”

    A point of pride with a trophy to back it up. Congratulations to the Cubs, the 2025 Defensive Team of the Year.

  • Stat of the Week: Playoff Defenders To Watch

    Stat of the Week: Playoff Defenders To Watch

    I had the idea to do a Playoffs Defenders To Watch and that dovetails perfectly with 10 players having at least 15 Defensive Runs Saved active this postseason. So let’s put the spotlight on them.

    Ernie Clement (Blue Jays IF, 23 Runs Saved) heads our list (probably much to your surprise). He’s the jack-of-all-trades, who saved 11 Runs at third base, 10 Runs at second base, 1 run at shortstop, and 1 run at first base. This was his second straight standout multi-positional season. He’s not going to overwhelm you with great plays, but he is going to make a lot of good ones while keeping mistakes to a minimum.

    Ceddanne Rafaela (Red Sox CF-2B, 22 Runs Saved) led all center fielders in both Runs Saved and Good Fielding Plays. Rafaela finished second at the position in Range Runs Saved and tied for first in Outfield Arm Runs Saved. He also had one of the best catches of the season (click to watch). And he did this despite having his time interrupted by moving to second base for a few weeks.

    Steven Kwan (Guardians LF, 22 Runs Saved) didn’t just lead left fielders in Runs Saved. He dominated the position, finishing 10 runs ahead of the next-closest player. Kwan actually didn’t have the most Range Runs Saved, but he had an MLB-outfield-best 7 Outfield Arm Runs Saved and 10 assists without the help of a cutoff man. Watch him for how well he plays balls off the wall, part of his MLB outfield best 29 Good Fielding Plays this season.

    Ke’Bryan Hayes (Reds 3B, 19 Runs Saved) has now led third basemen in Runs Saved in four of the last five seasons. This was his flashiestseason in that he had a career-high 21 Good Fielding Plays (as many as 2023 and 2024 combined).

    We split Runs Saved into components and this was the first season in which Hayes had more Runs Saved for finishing plays than he did for range. Others throw harder but it’s harder to be better than Hayes, who had 1 throwing error, no throwing misplays, and had only 1 throw that required his first baseman to make a Good Fielding Play.

    Myles Straw (Blue Jays OF, 18 Runs Saved) gives the Blue Jays the equivalent of two center fielders in the outfield, even when he’s playing left field. Straw accumulated most of his Runs Saved in center field (15 of them) before Daulton Varsho returned from shoulder surgery. In left field he’s netted 4 Runs Saved in 40 games and has no errors or defensive misplays. He has phenomenal range and that will be put to good use this month.

    Nico Hoerner (Cubs 2B, 17 Runs Saved) led the Cubs in Baseball-Reference’s Wins Above Replacement and defense was a big part of that. He led the position in Runs Saved and excelled at defending balls hit up the middle. He has a strong chance to win his first Fielding Bible Award.

    Mookie Betts (Dodgers SS, 17 Runs Saved) has turned himself into one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball. He tied for the lead at the position. The biggest thing Betts did was cut back on his mistakes. He had 19 Misplays & Errors in 65 games at shortstop in 2024 but had only 16 in 148 games there this season.

    Pete Crow-Armstrong (Cubs CF, 16 Runs Saved) played his best defense prior to the All-Star Break, netting 13 of his 16 Runs Saved then. He tapered off as both a hitter and fielder in the latter part of the season but still finished second in Runs Saved at the position. At his best he can go back and get the ball as well as anyone.

    Wilyer Abreu (Red Sox RF, 15 Runs Saved) was terrific in right field for the second straight season (he won a Fielding Bible Award last year) and actually had a higher Range Runs Saved total than he did last season despite playing fewer innings. He also co-led right fielders in Outfield Arm Runs Saved. Abreu was involved in two of the stranger plays of the season, a home run robbery that he didn’t catch but knocked over to Ceddanne Rafaela, and a 9-3 assist to prevent a single.

    Fernando Tatis Jr. (Padres RF, 15 Runs Saved) matched Abreu in Runs Saved (the only right fielder with more is Adolis Garcia). A big component of this was an MLB-best 4 home-run-robbing catches (and one play in which he prevented a home run but didn’t make the catch). His 28 Good Fielding Plays led all right fielders.

    Honorable mention: Harrison Bader (Phillies OF, 14 Runs Saved), Carlos Narváez (Red Sox C, 11 Runs Saved, most among playoff catchers), Max Fried (Yankees P, 10 Runs Saved, most of any pitcher).

  • 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: MLB’s Defensive All-Stars

    Stat of the Week: MLB’s Defensive All-Stars

    If we were to pick a lineup of the Defensive All-Stars for each league to this point in the season, who would we pick?

    The cleanest way to do this is to look at the Defensive Runs Saved leaderboards and select the top players, so that’s what we’ll do.

    Here are the NL leaders:

    (stats via fieldingbible.com)

    Position/Player Team Runs Saved
    1B- Matt Olson Braves 14
    2B- Nico Hoerner Cubs 11
    3B- Ke’Bryan Hayes Pirates 11
    SS- Nick Allen Braves 11
    LF- Tommy Pham Pirates 8
    CF- Pete Crow-Armstrong Cubs 13
    RF- Fernando Tatis Jr. Padres 12
    C- Patrick Bailey Giants 11
    P- Spencer Schwellenbach Braves 6

    1B- Matt Olson is one of three Braves representatives on the team. He’s had a terrific season, with twice as many Runs Saved as AL leader Carlos Santana. Olson’s 88 assists at first base are 16 more than the next-closest player (Pete Alonso, 72).

    2B- Nico Hoerner has a three-run lead in Runs Saved over the next-closest NL contenders, Brice Turang and Tyler Fitzgerald. He’s already matched his career high in Runs Saved at second base.

    3B- Ke’Bryan Hayes is 4 runs ahead of Matt Chapman for the NL lead. Hayes has won 2 Fielding Bible Awards and will be a strong contender to win a 3rd.

    SS- Nick Allen has met all the defensive expectations that came when he was initially a prospect with the A’s. He’s 3 runs ahead of Mookie Betts for the NL shortstop lead.

    LF- Tommy Pham is ahead here, though the competition is tight with James Wood just a run behind and 3-time Gold Glove winner 2 runs behind. Pham has totaled as many as 11 Runs Saved in a season, so this isn’t necessarily new territory for him.

    CF- Pete Crow-Armstrong is looking like the heir to Kevin Kiermaier as a regular Defensive Runs Saved leader in center field with a wide-ranging assortment of great catches. He’s already exceeded his 2024 Runs Saved (11) in 27 fewer games and has a 4-run lead on Michael Harris for the NL center field lead.

    RF- Fernando Tatis Jr. was one of the top defensive players in baseball two seasons ago and has returned to form in 2025. The next-closest NL right fielder is 5 runs behind him (Mike Yastrzemski).

    C- When Patrick Bailey isn’t hitting walk-off inside-the-park homers, he’s winning games with his defense. With 11 Runs Saved he’s 5 runs ahead of the next-closest NL catcher (Pedro Pagés, 6).

    P- Spencer Schwellenbach is currently injured, but he’s a deserving choice here. The former college shortstop nearly won a Fielding Bible Award last season and was going to contend for one this year before his injury (still could if he returns in September). He’s 2 Runs Saved ahead of fellow National Leaguers, Logan Webb, Colin Rea, and David Peterson.

    Here are the AL leaders:

    Position/Player Team Runs Saved
    1B- Carlos Santana Guardians 7
    2B- David Hamilton Red Sox 7
    3B- Ben Williamson Mariners 7
    SS- Taylor Walls Rays 18
    LF- Steven Kwan Guardians 13
    CF- Ceddanne Rafaela Red Sox 13
    RF- Adolis García Rangers 10
    C- Carlos Narváez Red Sox 11
    P- Max Fried Yankees 7

    1B- Carlos Santana is defying the defensive aging curve. He’s leading AL first basemen in Runs Saved at age 39, two years after leading everyone at the position. It’s close though. He’s currently 1 run better than Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

    2B- David Hamilton is No.1 though he’s made only 28 starts at second base for the Red Sox. He’s going to need to play more to qualify for a Gold Glove or Fielding Bible Award but he’s definitely shown he can handle the position. He had 8 Runs Saved in a similar small sample last season. Hamilton has a 2-run lead on Ernie Clement, who is more likely to qualify at third base. Among AL regulars, Andrés Giménez is closest to Hamilton, 3 runs behind.

    3B- Rookie Ben Williamson leads the way, 1 run ahead of the just-mentioned Clement. He’s been good fielding balls hit both to his left and right and has looked the part of a solid defender.

    SS- Taylor Walls not only has the most Runs Saved by a shortstop this season. He has the most Runs Saved by shortstops over the last 5 seasons, amazing given that he’s never played more than 100 games there in a season. He’s crushing the field in 2025, 10 runs better than closest AL counterpart, Jeremy Peña.

    LF- Steven Kwan, a two-time Fielding Bible Award winner, has a 5-run lead on Wyatt Langford for No. 1 in the AL. Kwan’s value has come not just from making catches but also from throws. His 6 assists without a cutoff man are already a career high.

    CF- Ceddanne Rafaela is such a good defensive player that the Red Sox moved the 2024 MLB center field leader in Runs Saved, Jarren Duran, to left field to allow Rafaela to play full-time there. Rafaela is tied for the MLB lead in Runs Saved in center field and has a 2-run edge on Julio Rodríguez for the AL lead.

    RF- Adolis García had a rough year in right field in 2024 but has bounced back in a big way, going from -5 to 10 Runs Saved. He has a 2-run lead for No. 1 in the AL over newcomer to the position Cam Smith and 2024 Fielding Bible Award winner Wilyer Abreu.

    C- Carlos Narváez has been a defensive star as a rookie for the Red Sox this season, matching Bailey in Runs Saved and leading the closest AL catchers, Adley Rutschman and Alejandro Kirk, by 4 runs.

    P- Max Fried won Fielding Bible Awards in 2020 and 2021, so we’re used to seeing defensive excellence from him, regardless of what team he’s on. He’s currently 1 run better than Luis Severino for the AL lead.

  • Stat of the Week: The All-Scrapes Team

    Stat of the Week: The All-Scrapes Team

     Photo: Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire

     

    Did you happen to see this catch by Blue Jays right fielder George Springer against the Red Sox last week? We did and we weren’t particularly surprised by it.

    From 2022 to 2024, no right fielder dove for a ball more than the 30 times that Springer did. In fact, only one other right fielder had even half as many diving attempts in that span as Springer did, his teammate, Anthony Santander (25).

    In those 30 times that Springer dove, he caught the ball 22 times, a success rate of 73%, pretty good given that the average right fielder was successful at making a catch on 54% of his dives (center field and left field have similar rates of effectiveness).

    If you were listening to our most recent episode of The SIS Baseball Podcast, you heard our guest, Hannah Keyser, and I run through “The All-Scrapes Team.” That’s the list of players who dove the most at each infield and outfield position over those three seasons.

    We’re still largely working in small sample sizes for 2025, so we thought it would be fun to review that All-Scrapes squad with some comments related to each of the leaders and positions.

    First Base – Pete Alonso dove for balls 139 times from 2022 to 2024. The next-closest first baseman was Carlos Santana (81). Alonso was a little better than average at getting outs on his dives (41% of the time, MLB average was 37%).

    The most effective divers by percentage were Ryan Mountcastle and a relative newcomer to the position, Bryce Harper, both with 60% success rates. Harper ranked second to Alonso in dives by a first baseman last season with 39.

    Second Base – Three second basemen dove more than 100 times in the last three seasons – Andrés Giménez (140), Bryson Stott (113), and Nico Hoerner (112). Of those, Giménez is the most successful, recording an out on 25% of his dives (MLB average is 24%).

    Brendan Rodgers had the best track record at getting outs on dives (45%). At the other end is Jeff McNeil, who got an out just five times on 60 diving attempts (8%).

    Shortstop – The leaders in dives are Geraldo Perdomo and C.J. Abrams with 111. The average shortstop is successful on only 21% of his dives, so Perdomo’s 32% looks pretty good.

    Perdomo and Abrams played the position differently from a lot of shortstops. The average shortstop dives every 2.5 times for every time he slides to make a play, but Perdomo and Abrams almost never slid, doing so just 7 and 3 times, respectively.

    Third Base – Alec Bohm (115) and Rafael Devers (96) ranked 1-2 in dives in that time. Before you say, ‘Only bad fielders dive for balls,’ you should know that the next five players in diving attempts are Matt Chapman, Austin Riley, Ryan McMahon, Ke’Bryan Hayes, and Alex Bregman.

    Of the 20 third basemen who dove the most, the one who got an out most often was Manny Machado (38%).

    Left field – Jurickson Profar (27) and Ian Happ (26) are the top two here. Happ goes all out for balls in all sorts of ways. His 133 slides, dives, and jumps in that span were miles ahead of the player with the second-most, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., 78. Shout-out to Brandon Nimmo, who has split time center field and left field and has recorded an out on 80% of his dives over the last three seasons.

    Center field – Brenton Doyle is another outfielder who goes all-out, so much so that he had more dives in two seasons (34) than any other center fielder had in three. He won a Fielding Bible Award last year for playing with a high effort level. Standouts at getting outs when they played center field and dove included Riley Greene (79%) and Cedric Mullins (78%)

    Right field – As mentioned above, Springer leads the way in dives here and is highly effective when he does dive.

    All Players – Because some players switch positions, we thought it was worth checking the overall leaderboard, and in fact, the top diver was a position switcher – Nico Hoerner of the Cubs has 155 dives for balls over the last three seasons. However, we’re wondering if he might be able to save his body a little bit. He’s been successful at getting an out on only 15% of his diving attempts.

    Here are the leaders by position:

    Most Diving Attempts – 2022 to 2024

    Player Dives
    1B- Pete Alonso 139
    2B- Andrés Giménez 140
    SS- Geraldo Perdomo (tie) 111
    SS- C.J. Abrams (tie) 111
    3B- Alec Bohm 115
    LF- Jurickson Profar 27
    CF- Brenton Doyle 34
    RF- George Springer 30
    Overall- Nico Hoerner 155
  • 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.

  • Fielding Bible Awards Preview: Part I

    Fielding Bible Awards Preview: Part I

     Photo: Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire

    Our next two Stat of the Weeks will focus on the top candidates for The Fielding Bible Awards, which will be announced later this month.

    The Fielding Bible Awards is voted on by a panel of experts who can vote based on whatever criteria they choose, including observation and subjective judgement, as well as statistical analysis. Each position has one overall winner, different from the Gold Gloves which has one in each league.

    This week, Part I of our preview looks at catchers and infielders.

    (Defensive Runs Saved totals in parentheses)

    Catcher

    Fielding Bible Award Favorite: Gabriel Moreno (20)

    NL Gold Glove Favorite: Moreno 

    AL Gold Glove Favorite: Alejandro Kirk (17)

    NL Top Contenders: Patrick Bailey (13), Will Smith (12), Sean Murphy (8)

    AL Top Contender: Jonah Heim (6)

    Moreno pulled away from a tight field late in the season. His MLB-leading Defensive Runs Saved total was partly a product of being one of the few catchers who could throw out basestealers at a high rate this season, and his pitch blocking was excellent.

    The vote might be close because Moreno had a weakness: pitch framing. Kirk was basically a match for Moreno in pitch blocking and rated considerably better in our framing metric, Strike Zone Runs Saved.

    First Baseman

    Fielding Bible Award Favorites: Carlos Santana (11), Christian Walker (9), Matt Olson (8)

    NL Gold Glove Favorite: Walker

    AL Gold Glove Favorites: Anthony Rizzo (3), Nathaniel Lowe (3)

    NL Top Contender: Pete Alonso (6), Dominic Smith (5), Paul Goldschmidt (3) 

    AL Top Contender: Ryan Mountcastle (2)

    We list three favorites here because we’re expecting a close vote between this trio. Santana is the surprise of the group. His defense has improved with age. This is his fourth straight season with positive Runs Saved and the 11 Runs Saved is a career high. Walker and Olson have the benefit of reputation. Walker won the Award last season. Olson has won three times previously.

    In the AL, Lowe winning a Gold Glove would be notable. He was one of MLB’s most-improved defenders, going from -9 Runs Saved last season to 3 Runs Saved in 2023. His most formidable competition is Rizzo, whose season was halted in August by injury.

    Second Baseman

    Fielding Bible Award Favorite: Andrés Giménez (23)

    NL Gold Glove Favorites: Nico Hoerner (12), Brice Turang (12)

    AL Favorite: Giménez

    NL Top Contender: Ha-Seong Kim (10)

    AL Top Contender: Marcus Semien (16)

    Giménez was our co-Defensive Player of the Month for September and was another player who pulled away from the rest of the field for the positional lead in Defensive Runs Saved. He has a good chance to win a year after finishing second in the Fielding Bible voting to Brendan Rodgers. Semien is good competition. He leads all second basemen in Runs Saved over the last 3 seasons.

    In the NL, Hoerner made the transition from full-time shortstop last season to second base in 2023 to accommodate the Cubs’ acquisition of Dansby Swanson. He’s in a tight race for the Gold Glove with an impressive rookie, Turang, and Kim, who has put up very strong defensive numbers wherever he’s played since joining the Padres in 2021.

    Shortstop

    Fielding Bible Award Favorite: Dansby Swanson (18)

    NL Gold Glove Favorite: Swanson

    AL Gold Glove Favorite: Anthony Volpe (15)

    NL Top Contenders: Ezequiel Tovar (13), Miguel Rojas (12)

    AL Top Contender: Jeremy Peña (7)

    Swanson gave the Cubs exactly what they were looking for in his first year with the team. There are a lot of good candidates here, including a pair of rookies. Anthony Volpe didn’t hit much for the Yankees but put up strong overall defensive numbers. The Gold Glove Award may come down to him and last year’s winner, Peña.

    Third Baseman

    Fielding Bible Award Favorite: Ke’Bryan Hayes (21)

    NL Gold Glove Favorite: Hayes

    AL Gold Glove Favorite: Matt Chapman (12)

    NL Top Contender: Ryan McMahon (17)

    AL Top Contender: Alex Bregman (5)

    Even with a midseason injury, Hayes was easily the leader in Runs Saved among third basemen. Hayes came in 2nd to Nolan Arenado in last year’s Fielding Bible Awards, but this season, Hayes has him beat in Runs Saved, 21-1. It’s actually McMahon who might be Hayes’ most formidable competitor for both Fielding Bible and Gold Glove wins this season.

    In the AL, Chapman looked something like his 2-time Fielding Bible Award-winning self this season. There aren’t any other Gold Glove Award-eligible 3rd basemen close to his Runs Saved total. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll win, but he has a good chance.

     

  • 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. 

  • A New Era In Defensive Excellence At Shortstop?

    A New Era In Defensive Excellence At Shortstop?

    Over the last decade you’ve probably gotten used to certain names popping up among the shortstop Gold Glove and Fielding Bible Award winners.

    Andrelton Simmons, Nick Ahmed, Brandon Crawford, Carlos Correa and Javier Báez are probably the first players you think of.

    Although it may be too early to offer proclamations of excellence, the early-season editions of the Defensive Runs Saved leaderboard may offer some clues to some new names (ones not as well known as Wander Franco) trying to establish a high standard of defensive excellence.

    We’ve already mentioned a couple of them – Astros rookie Jeremy Peña for one.

    Peña has replaced Correa at shortstop and the Astros defense hasn’t missed a beat. Houston leads the majors in Defensive Runs Saved and Peña has hovered around the shortstop leaderboard since Day 1.

    “Jeremy has shown elite defensive skills,” said Astros bench coach Joe Espada. “He has a quick first step and smooth and natural actions to both his left and right. He demonstrates good decision-making capabilities which will keep him at shortstop for his long-term future.”

    Also in the AL West, the Angels have been right there with the Astros both in overall record and in shortstop defensive play.

    This was a case in which the team had a change of plans. When shortstop David Fletcher got hurt early in the season, the Angels turned to Andrew Velazquez, a waiver claim from the Yankees.

    Velazquez plays defense such that he lives up his nickname, “Squid.” Simply put, he has a lot of range.

    And that’s not necessarily the best part of his game.

    “What impresses me most about the way ‘Squid’ plays defense is how quick and smooth and accurate his arm is,’ Angels manager Joe Maddon said earlier this week. “He’s never in a hurry. He’s got this internal clock about him. I know that dog is man’s best friend. Squid is a pitcher’s best friend.”

    In about a half-season’s worth of innings at shortstop, Velazquez has 10 career Defensive Runs Saved, in line with what an elite defender would do.

    The Orioles have a long climb upward and prospects like Adley Rutschman and Grayson Rodriguez coming to lead the charge.

    But another player, Jorge Mateo, may carve out a future role for himself if he keeps playing defense like he has this through the first month-plus of the season. He currently leads the majors in double play conversion rate, having converted 31 in 37 opportunities (84%).

    “His athleticism, his range, his first-step quickness, the arm strength, the ability to throw the ball from all arm angles. ” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said, ticking off the list of Mateo’s attributes. “He’s got great footwork, so he’s always in position to make a strong throw, which is why we’ve turned so many double plays this year.”

    Lastly, Nico Hoerner of the Cubs just went on the injured list, suffering a sprained ankle after colliding with an umpire. But before he did, he played as steadily at shortstop filling in for Simmons as he previously had at second base (9 Runs Saved in 68 career games at second). Maybe he won’t go back to shortstop when he returns, but wherever Hoerner plays, he impresses.

    “Versatility isn’t the right word,” said Cubs broadcaster Doug Glanville. “He’s kind of the ultimate shift defender, a modern player who can function at a high level on defense no matter where they put him. He can go in the hole to his right, backhand and execute that really well.

    And then you’ll see him shift on the right side of the field, play really deep and make throws from tough angles going right or left. He seems to teleport. He has good instincts, sense of fundamentals, and anticipates really well. He’s fun to watch.”

    So watch out Andrelton, Nick, Brandon, Carlos, and Javier. There are some newcomers with dazzling ability coming for your awards.

    For more smart baseball talk, check out the latest episode of our baseball podcast, featuring Padres outfielder, Tony Gwynn Jr.