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Fielding Effects


All raw data supplied courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.
They do a wonderful job, and deserve your support.

Fielding Effects

Through games of Sunday, 1 October 2023.
All results are from true, unadjusted data.

The Table shows two lines for each team. The first is their actual stats to date, from Games through Strikeouts; the stats FEbat and FErun—Fielding Efficiency on batters and Fielding Efficiency on runners—are explained on our page here about Team Fielding. The OR stat on this line is the TPP-projected Runs the team would be expected to have yielded to date (for an explanation of the TPP, see our page here about basic Baseball Analysis). The R stat is the TOP-projected team Runs scored to date. The Δ stats are immaterial for this line.

The second Table line for each team is their calculated stats if their defense were MLB-average. The FEbat and FErun values on this line are their MLB-average values (averaged over the three recent years 2017 - 2019). The OR stat on this line is the TPP-projected Runs the team would be expected to have yielded to date based on the average-fielding stat values. And on this line, the Δ stats show the differences in Wins that having an MLB-average defense would gain or lose (the ΔW stat is for the year to date, while the ΔWyr is for a full 162-game season.

Thus, this table shows us what a given team’s defense is doing to help or hurt it. As you see, the average difference is less than 3 wins a season, and that figure is heavily weighted by a very few very bad defenses. (Without the three exceptionally worst, the average difference is just 2 wins a year, and the widest swings from assuming an MLB-average defense are 6 lost by good-fielding teams and gained by poor-fielding teams, with 2/3 of the teams within a couple of wins of average-fielding results.

(Those interested in the tiresome details of the calculations can follow that link to a full explanation.)

We cannot easily disentangle pitching from fielding, because fielding affects pitching results. But, painting with a very broad brush, we can say that at the extremes the fielding-attributable difference in runs allowed is in the range of being equivalent to perhaps a quarter to a third of a run on the team ERA, with the more normal variations amounting to about an eighth of a run. Pretty clearly, on a team level, fielding runs a poor second to pitching in significance for runs allowed, and thus a very poor third to offense. (Recall that offense and defense are each 50% of the game, and defense is part pitching and part fielding.) Since the extremes of team ERA cover about 2.75 runs (in 2020, 3.02 to 5.75) while the extremes of fielding, even including all the outliers, equate to maybe 0.60 on an ERA, their ratio is—and again, this is very, very broad-brush thinking—around 9:2, making fielding perhaps at most around 20% of defense and thus pitching about 80%, meaning that offense is 50% of the game, pitching is 40%, and fielding is at most around 10%, and so of much less importance than either offense or pitching. (Quite as we said almost 40 years ago.)

— Place your cursor over any column heading to see what it signifies. —

Team G IP BFP AB BB HBP SH SF CI H 2B 3B HR SO FEbat FErun OR R       ΔW ΔWyr
Brewers,
with actual fielding
162 1443.0 5990 5380 493 60 12 39 6 1218 225 16 198 1425 73.21% 7.07% 645 683 --- ---
Brewers,
assuming average fielding
162 1443.0 5904 5303 486 59 12 38 6 1201 222 16 195 1405 70.41% 9.18% 675 683 -3 -3
Dodgers,
with actual fielding
162 1446.1 6018 5445 454 73 7 35 4 1284 256 19 200 1388 72.2% 8.36% 670 887 --- ---
Dodgers,
assuming average fielding
162 1446.1 5932 5367 447 72 7 34 4 1266 252 19 197 1368 70.41% 9.18% 685 887 -2 -2
Astros,
with actual fielding
162 1445.1 6110 5440 537 75 14 42 2 1312 266 20 201 1460 71.03% 8.49% 712 816 --- ---
Astros,
assuming average fielding
162 1445.1 6022 5362 529 74 14 41 2 1293 262 20 198 1439 70.41% 9.18% 710 816 0 0
Yankees,
with actual fielding
162 1439.2 6078 5428 508 85 11 40 6 1272 261 15 195 1439 71.99% 6.96% 688 656 --- ---
Yankees,
assuming average fielding
162 1439.2 5991 5350 501 84 11 39 6 1254 257 15 192 1418 70.41% 9.18% 694 656 0 0
Padres,
with actual fielding
162 1441.0 6082 5391 557 76 17 38 3 1270 236 18 174 1445 71.36% 8.06% 669 758 --- ---
Padres,
assuming average fielding
162 1441.0 5995 5314 549 75 17 37 3 1252 233 18 172 1424 70.41% 9.18% 672 758 0 0
Mariners,
with actual fielding
162 1449.1 6006 5483 421 57 14 31 0 1300 250 24 184 1459 71.27% 6.96% 643 755 --- ---
Mariners,
assuming average fielding
162 1449.1 5920 5404 415 56 14 31 0 1281 246 24 181 1438 70.41% 9.18% 641 755 0 0
Team G IP BFP AB BB HBP SH SF CI H 2B 3B HR SO FEbat FErun OR R       ΔW ΔWyr
Rays,
with actual fielding
162 1442.0 5994 5447 439 63 12 31 2 1259 261 26 177 1507 71.57% 6.44% 634 818 --- ---
Rays,
assuming average fielding
162 1442.0 5908 5369 433 62 12 31 2 1241 257 26 174 1485 70.41% 9.18% 633 818 0 0
Rangers,
with actual fielding
162 1436.1 6025 5420 491 59 12 42 1 1330 234 21 198 1351 71.16% 8.99% 682 862 --- ---
Rangers,
assuming average fielding
162 1436.1 5939 5342 484 58 12 41 1 1311 231 21 195 1332 70.41% 9.18% 687 862 0 0
Orioles,
with actual fielding
162 1453.2 6098 5511 473 63 12 37 2 1334 266 22 177 1431 70.72% 7.81% 671 739 --- ---
Orioles,
assuming average fielding
162 1453.2 6011 5432 466 62 12 36 2 1315 262 22 174 1410 70.41% 9.18% 660 739 +1 +1
Cubs,
with actual fielding
162 1435.1 6085 5446 513 64 19 42 1 1328 268 20 179 1377 70.92% 7.8% 701 793 --- ---
Cubs,
assuming average fielding
162 1435.1 5998 5368 506 63 19 41 1 1309 264 20 176 1357 70.41% 9.18% 689 793 +1 +1
Guardians,
with actual fielding
162 1444.0 6144 5495 534 51 14 45 5 1353 293 17 173 1311 71.01% 7.26% 722 660 --- ---
Guardians,
assuming average fielding
162 1444.0 6056 5416 526 50 14 44 5 1334 289 17 171 1292 70.41% 9.18% 712 660 +1 +1
Tigers,
with actual fielding
162 1442.1 6073 5490 476 50 12 38 7 1320 259 24 187 1374 71.53% 7.39% 687 653 --- ---
Tigers,
assuming average fielding
162 1442.1 5986 5411 469 49 12 37 7 1301 255 24 184 1354 70.41% 9.18% 680 653 +1 +1
Twins,
with actual fielding
162 1451.1 6028 5472 443 63 14 35 1 1294 245 28 194 1560 70.8% 6.68% 657 775 --- ---
Twins,
assuming average fielding
162 1451.1 5942 5394 437 62 14 34 1 1275 241 28 191 1538 70.41% 9.18% 650 775 +1 +1
Team G IP BFP AB BB HBP SH SF CI H 2B 3B HR SO FEbat FErun OR R       ΔW ΔWyr
Diamondbacks,
with actual fielding
162 1435.1 6100 5477 525 48 10 39 1 1375 304 39 197 1351 70.39% 8.07% 732 727 --- ---
Diamondbacks,
assuming average fielding
162 1435.1 6012 5398 517 47 10 38 1 1355 300 38 194 1332 70.41% 9.18% 721 727 +2 +2
Mets,
with actual fielding
162 1417.0 6121 5387 595 85 12 40 2 1335 244 19 190 1398 70.27% 8.43% 749 712 --- ---
Mets,
assuming average fielding
162 1417.0 6033 5310 586 84 12 39 2 1316 240 19 187 1378 70.41% 9.18% 727 712 +2 +2
Phillies,
with actual fielding
162 1442.1 6074 5493 470 54 14 43 0 1317 259 23 185 1454 71.06% 6.3% 688 801 --- ---
Phillies,
assuming average fielding
162 1442.1 5987 5414 463 53 14 42 0 1298 255 23 182 1433 70.41% 9.18% 672 801 +2 +2
Blue Jays,
with actual fielding
162 1451.2 6100 5507 488 62 17 24 2 1326 271 13 198 1528 70.49% 7.47% 687 764 --- ---
Blue Jays,
assuming average fielding
162 1451.2 6012 5428 481 61 17 24 2 1307 267 13 195 1506 70.41% 9.18% 671 764 +2 +2
Braves,
with actual fielding
162 1440.0 6135 5480 534 70 19 29 3 1341 238 21 187 1516 69.83% 800% 709 934 --- ---
Braves,
assuming average fielding
162 1440.0 6047 5401 526 69 19 29 3 1322 235 21 184 1494 70.41% 9.18% 679 934 +3 +3
White Sox,
with actual fielding
162 1431.2 6301 5502 654 91 8 43 3 1372 243 37 214 1470 70.07% 5.8% 833 614 --- ---
White Sox,
assuming average fielding
162 1431.2 6211 5423 645 90 8 42 3 1352 240 36 211 1449 70.41% 9.18% 798 614 +3 +3
Reds,
with actual fielding
162 1439.1 6310 5552 613 81 19 42 3 1426 305 32 222 1381 69.98% 6.82% 839 774 --- ---
Reds,
assuming average fielding
162 1439.1 6219 5472 604 80 19 41 3 1406 301 32 219 1361 70.41% 9.18% 805 774 +3 +3
Team G IP BFP AB BB HBP SH SF CI H 2B 3B HR SO FEbat FErun OR R       ΔW ΔWyr
Royals,
with actual fielding
162 1409.0 6139 5444 553 73 10 52 7 1429 294 31 207 1270 69.67% 8.36% 807 669 --- ---
Royals,
assuming average fielding
162 1409.0 6051 5366 545 72 10 51 7 1409 290 31 204 1252 70.41% 9.18% 773 669 +3 +3
Marlins,
with actual fielding
162 1435.1 6091 5456 514 71 12 35 3 1341 303 20 191 1490 69.91% 7.96% 715 689 --- ---
Marlins,
assuming average fielding
162 1435.1 6004 5378 507 70 12 34 3 1322 299 20 188 1469 70.41% 9.18% 690 689 +3 +3
Pirates,
with actual fielding
162 1430.0 6238 5491 596 81 22 43 5 1380 313 20 179 1363 70.08% 6.71% 771 681 --- ---
Pirates,
assuming average fielding
162 1430.0 6149 5412 587 80 22 42 5 1360 309 20 176 1343 70.41% 9.18% 736 681 +3 +3
Giants,
with actual fielding
162 1434.2 6039 5504 403 71 19 35 7 1395 275 29 173 1359 69.65% 8.3% 692 664 --- ---
Giants,
assuming average fielding
162 1434.2 5952 5425 397 70 19 34 7 1375 271 29 171 1340 70.41% 9.18% 661 664 +3 +3
Nationals,
with actual fielding
162 1428.1 6285 5547 592 66 17 62 1 1512 258 15 245 1225 69.51% 8.55% 880 688 --- ---
Nationals,
assuming average fielding
162 1428.1 6195 5467 584 65 17 61 1 1424 243 15 241 1207 70.41% 9.18% 845 688 +3 +3
Angels,
with actual fielding
162 1431.2 6305 5526 636 88 14 36 5 1394 271 20 209 1445 69.79% 6.28% 805 750 --- ---
Angels,
assuming average fielding
162 1431.2 6215 5447 627 87 14 35 5 1374 267 20 206 1424 70.41% 9.18% 763 750 +4 +4
Athletics,
with actual fielding
162 1419.2 6384 5507 694 100 15 64 4 1464 338 26 213 1300 69.29% 6.79% 904 600 --- ---
Athletics,
assuming average fielding
162 1419.2 6292 5428 684 99 15 63 4 1443 333 26 210 1281 70.41% 9.18% 850 600 +4 +4
Team G IP BFP AB BB HBP SH SF CI H 2B 3B HR SO FEbat FErun OR R       ΔW ΔWyr
Red Sox,
with actual fielding
162 1430.0 6168 5535 497 83 13 35 5 1416 317 21 208 1423 69.43% 7.7% 778 759 --- ---
Red Sox,
assuming average fielding
162 1430.0 6080 5456 490 82 13 34 5 1396 312 21 205 1403 70.41% 9.18% 731 759 +5 +5
Rockies,
with actual fielding
162 1414.0 6316 5559 586 86 21 62 2 1598 309 47 234 1129 68.12% 9.26% 940 683 --- ---
Rockies,
assuming average fielding
162 1414.0 6225 5479 578 85 21 61 2 1575 305 46 231 1113 70.41% 9.18% 874 683 +5 +5
Cardinals,
with actual fielding
162 1428.1 6273 5609 530 63 17 51 3 1549 366 29 179 1215 68.01% 8.25% 840 760 --- ---
Cardinals,
assuming average fielding
162 1428.1 6183 5529 522 62 17 50 3 1527 361 29 176 1198 70.41% 9.18% 765 760 +7 +7




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This page was last modified on Sunday, 4 February 2024, at 6:24 pm Pacific Time.