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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 Thursday, 6 May 2021.
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
Nationals,
with actual fielding		 27 233.0 971 851 95 13 6 6 0 185 31 2 40 219 75.99% 9.63% 104 103 --- ---
Nationals,
assuming average fielding		 27 233.0 1007 882 98 13 6 6 0 220 37 2 41 227 70.41% 9.18% 115 103 -1 -7
Giants,
with actual fielding		 31 270.2 1111 998 96 12 1 4 0 213 29 4 30 264 74.19% 7.72% 103 128 --- ---
Giants,
assuming average fielding		 31 270.2 1152 1035 100 12 1 4 0 221 30 4 31 274 70.41% 9.18% 112 128 -2 -6
Mariners,
with actual fielding		 32 277.2 1168 1030 107 19 1 10 1 232 48 2 32 237 74.09% 8.97% 124 109 --- ---
Mariners,
assuming average fielding		 32 277.2 1211 1068 111 20 1 10 1 240 50 2 33 246 70.41% 9.18% 133 109 -1 -5
Marlins,
with actual fielding		 30 265.2 1095 971 90 20 6 7 1 214 45 5 29 264 73.23% 11.57% 108 115 --- ---
Marlins,
assuming average fielding		 30 265.2 1135 1007 93 21 6 7 1 222 47 5 30 274 70.41% 9.18% 113 115 -1 -4
Cardinals,
with actual fielding		 32 279.0 1201 1031 133 23 4 10 0 228 50 4 24 263 73.09% 7.38% 124 127 --- ---
Cardinals,
assuming average fielding		 32 279.0 1245 1069 138 24 4 10 0 236 52 4 25 273 70.41% 9.18% 128 127 0 -3
Brewers,
with actual fielding		 32 286.0 1189 1049 110 20 5 4 1 221 38 8 37 328 73.45% 8.31% 119 123 --- ---
Brewers,
assuming average fielding		 32 286.0 1233 1087 114 21 5 4 1 229 39 8 38 340 70.41% 9.18% 124 123 0 -3
Indians,
with actual fielding		 30 266.2 1112 989 104 13 1 4 1 211 31 4 41 296 74.12% 8.5% 118 115 --- ---
Indians,
assuming average fielding		 30 266.2 1153 1025 108 13 1 4 1 219 32 4 43 307 70.41% 9.18% 123 115 -1 -3
Orioles,
with actual fielding		 31 271.2 1141 1019 100 12 3 7 0 236 36 1 42 259 73.35% 8.17% 126 112 --- ---
Orioles,
assuming average fielding		 31 271.2 1183 1056 104 12 3 7 0 245 37 1 44 268 70.41% 9.18% 131 112 -1 -3
Rays,
with actual fielding		 33 298.1 1220 1102 92 13 5 8 0 256 57 6 32 299 71.43% 10.96% 119 139 --- ---
Rays,
assuming average fielding		 33 298.1 1265 1142 95 13 5 8 0 265 59 6 33 310 70.41% 9.18% 121 139 0 -2
Padres,
with actual fielding		 32 290.0 1192 1067 96 20 4 5 0 217 37 6 33 350 73.45% 7.2% 111 130 --- ---
Padres,
assuming average fielding		 32 290.0 1236 1106 100 21 4 5 0 225 38 6 34 363 70.41% 9.18% 114 130 0 -2
Yankees,
with actual fielding		 31 277.2 1120 1017 78 13 4 7 1 216 38 4 34 325 72.8% 8.6% 103 127 --- ---
Yankees,
assuming average fielding		 31 277.2 1161 1054 81 13 4 7 1 224 39 4 35 337 70.41% 9.18% 107 127 0 -2
Dodgers,
with actual fielding		 32 289.0 1187 1067 95 12 6 6 1 229 32 2 35 327 72.94% 7.25% 114 154 --- ---
Dodgers,
assuming average fielding		 32 289.0 1230 1106 98 12 6 6 1 237 33 2 36 339 70.41% 9.18% 118 154 0 -2
Astros,
with actual fielding		 31 272.0 1140 1011 99 21 2 7 0 230 43 3 35 279 72.38% 7.95% 119 137 --- ---
Astros,
assuming average fielding		 31 272.0 1182 1048 103 22 2 7 0 238 45 3 36 289 70.41% 9.18% 123 137 -1 -2
Pirates,
with actual fielding		 30 257.0 1093 959 104 14 4 12 0 221 49 5 33 255 72.63% 800% 126 108 --- ---
Pirates,
assuming average fielding		 30 257.0 1133 994 108 15 4 12 0 229 51 5 34 264 70.41% 9.18% 127 108 0 -1
Twins,
with actual fielding		 30 262.1 1102 991 84 14 3 8 2 236 48 1 43 250 72.78% 8.43% 128 134 --- ---
Twins,
assuming average fielding		 30 262.1 1142 1027 87 15 3 8 2 245 50 1 45 259 70.41% 9.18% 131 134 -1 -1
White Sox,
with actual fielding		 29 249.1 1039 925 91 9 5 6 3 201 27 3 28 289 72.05% 7.32% 101 132 --- ---
White Sox,
assuming average fielding		 29 249.1 1077 959 94 9 5 6 3 208 28 3 29 300 70.41% 9.18% 101 132 0 0
Reds,
with actual fielding		 29 260.0 1129 975 127 15 3 9 0 228 43 4 41 285 71.71% 7.43% 137 139 --- ---
Reds,
assuming average fielding		 29 260.0 1170 1011 132 16 3 9 0 236 45 4 43 295 70.41% 9.18% 137 139 0 0
Blue Jays,
with actual fielding		 30 260.2 1086 983 85 15 2 1 0 230 48 4 37 260 71.99% 11.37% 119 131 --- ---
Blue Jays,
assuming average fielding		 30 260.2 1126 1019 88 16 2 1 0 238 50 4 38 270 70.41% 9.18% 119 131 0 0
Mets,
with actual fielding		 26 215.1 873 789 64 10 2 7 1 170 35 5 17 253 71.02% 10.63% 77 99 --- ---
Mets,
assuming average fielding		 26 215.1 905 818 66 10 2 7 1 176 36 5 18 262 70.41% 9.18% 76 99 0 +1
Braves,
with actual fielding		 31 267.1 1171 1021 118 16 7 8 1 254 51 5 44 284 70.34% 6.35% 149 135 --- ---
Braves,
assuming average fielding		 31 267.1 1214 1058 122 17 7 8 1 263 53 5 46 294 70.41% 9.18% 144 135 +1 +2
Cubs,
with actual fielding		 31 273.0 1218 1046 133 28 3 8 0 259 46 3 44 293 70.14% 6.99% 160 136 --- ---
Cubs,
assuming average fielding		 31 273.0 1263 1084 138 29 3 8 0 268 48 3 46 304 70.41% 9.18% 153 136 +1 +3
Tigers,
with actual fielding		 32 268.2 1194 1052 122 11 3 6 0 267 51 3 43 235 71.39% 6.28% 160 99 --- ---
Tigers,
assuming average fielding		 32 268.2 1238 1091 126 11 3 6 0 277 53 3 45 244 70.41% 9.18% 154 99 +1 +3
Royals,
with actual fielding		 30 262.0 1136 999 115 10 2 10 0 245 49 5 34 263 70.45% 7.65% 137 126 --- ---
Royals,
assuming average fielding		 30 262.0 1178 1036 119 10 2 10 0 254 51 5 35 273 70.41% 9.18% 132 126 0 +3
Phillies,
with actual fielding		 32 279.0 1184 1068 89 15 6 6 0 264 53 4 40 287 70.25% 8.68% 136 119 --- ---
Phillies,
assuming average fielding		 32 279.0 1227 1107 92 16 6 6 0 274 55 4 41 298 70.41% 9.18% 130 119 +1 +3
Rangers,
with actual fielding		 33 293.2 1244 1133 86 12 3 8 2 288 55 5 45 283 70.22% 8.1% 149 134 --- ---
Rangers,
assuming average fielding		 33 293.2 1290 1174 89 12 3 8 2 299 57 5 47 293 70.41% 9.18% 144 134 0 +3
Diamondbacks,
with actual fielding		 31 271.1 1180 1051 95 13 8 12 1 275 53 10 43 256 69.95% 6.87% 155 151 --- ---
Diamondbacks,
assuming average fielding		 31 271.1 1223 1089 98 13 8 12 1 285 55 10 45 265 70.41% 9.18% 147 151 +1 +4
Athletics,
with actual fielding		 33 291.0 1261 1143 94 13 2 9 0 294 57 4 36 275 69.4% 4.67% 151 135 --- ---
Athletics,
assuming average fielding		 33 291.0 1307 1185 97 13 2 9 0 305 59 4 37 285 70.41% 9.18% 141 135 +1 +5
Rockies,
with actual fielding		 31 265.0 1183 1026 127 8 12 9 1 275 57 11 38 241 69.14% 8.27% 163 133 --- ---
Rockies,
assuming average fielding		 31 265.0 1226 1064 132 8 12 9 1 285 59 11 39 250 70.41% 9.18% 151 133 +1 +6
Red Sox,
with actual fielding		 32 282.1 1209 1074 109 15 4 7 0 261 57 4 22 311 68.22% 7.65% 129 156 --- ---
Red Sox,
assuming average fielding		 32 282.1 1253 1113 113 16 4 7 0 271 59 4 23 322 70.41% 9.18% 117 156 +1 +7
Angels,
with actual fielding		 30 264.2 1174 1028 121 14 2 8 1 253 46 3 35 321 68.04% 500% 150 131 --- ---
Angels,
assuming average fielding		 30 264.2 1217 1066 125 15 2 8 1 262 48 3 36 333 70.41% 9.18% 133 131 +2 +9



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