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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, 30 March 2025.
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
Mets,
with actual fielding
3 25.0 101 85 13 1 1 1 0 15 1 0 1 23 77.78% 10.34% 6 6 --- ---
Mets,
assuming average fielding
3 25.0 98 83 13 1 1 1 0 15 1 0 1 22 70.41% 9.18% 8 6 -1 -21
Astros,
with actual fielding
3 27.0 104 88 13 2 0 1 0 12 4 0 1 27 81.97% 14.81% 6 6 --- ---
Astros,
assuming average fielding
3 27.0 101 86 13 2 0 1 0 12 4 0 1 26 70.41% 9.18% 8 6 -1 -21
Padres,
with actual fielding
4 36.0 138 122 16 0 0 0 0 18 2 0 3 36 81.93% 14.29% 8 17 --- ---
Padres,
assuming average fielding
4 36.0 134 119 16 0 0 0 0 18 2 0 3 35 70.41% 9.18% 11 17 0 -17
Angels,
with actual fielding
3 26.0 100 92 8 0 0 0 0 18 4 0 4 19 79.71% 15.38% 8 8 --- ---
Angels,
assuming average fielding
3 26.0 97 90 8 0 0 0 0 18 4 0 4 18 70.41% 9.18% 10 8 -1 -16
Giants,
with actual fielding
3 26.0 103 95 7 1 0 0 0 21 2 0 4 22 75.36% 13.79% 9 10 --- ---
Giants,
assuming average fielding
3 26.0 100 92 7 1 0 0 0 20 2 0 4 21 70.41% 9.18% 11 10 -1 -15
Reds,
with actual fielding
3 27.0 105 98 4 1 1 1 0 21 4 0 5 25 77.14% 11.11% 10 9 --- ---
Reds,
assuming average fielding
3 27.0 102 95 4 1 1 1 0 20 4 0 5 24 70.41% 9.18% 12 9 0 -13
Team G IP BFP AB BB HBP SH SF CI H 2B 3B HR SO FEbat FErun OR R       ΔW ΔWyr
Athletics,
with actual fielding
4 34.0 135 114 16 3 1 1 0 20 1 0 3 41 76.39% 15.38% 10 15 --- ---
Athletics,
assuming average fielding
4 34.0 131 111 16 3 1 1 0 19 1 0 3 40 70.41% 9.18% 12 15 -1 -13
Marlins,
with actual fielding
4 39.0 164 136 25 2 0 1 0 25 4 0 3 36 77.55% 7.41% 17 18 --- ---
Marlins,
assuming average fielding
4 39.0 160 132 24 2 0 1 0 24 4 0 3 35 70.41% 9.18% 20 18 0 -12
Cardinals,
with actual fielding
3 27.0 101 96 5 0 0 0 0 16 5 0 2 19 81.33% 9.09% 6 19 --- ---
Cardinals,
assuming average fielding
3 27.0 98 93 5 0 0 0 0 16 5 0 2 18 70.41% 9.18% 8 19 -1 -10
Red Sox,
with actual fielding
4 33.0 131 121 6 2 0 1 1 29 4 0 5 20 75.26% 15.79% 13 14 --- ---
Red Sox,
assuming average fielding
4 33.0 127 118 6 2 0 1 1 28 4 0 5 19 70.41% 9.18% 15 14 0 -10
Tigers,
with actual fielding
3 25.1 104 97 6 1 0 0 0 22 4 0 9 25 79.37% 000% 15 16 --- ---
Tigers,
assuming average fielding
3 25.1 101 94 6 1 0 0 0 21 4 0 9 24 70.41% 9.18% 17 16 -1 -9
Mariners,
with actual fielding
4 36.0 146 133 11 1 1 0 0 28 3 0 7 30 78.35% 9.52% 15 10 --- ---
Mariners,
assuming average fielding
4 36.0 142 129 11 1 1 0 0 27 3 0 7 29 70.41% 9.18% 17 10 0 -7
Royals,
with actual fielding
3 28.0 117 99 13 0 1 4 0 26 5 1 5 16 74.7% 12.82% 16 11 --- ---
Royals,
assuming average fielding
3 28.0 114 96 13 0 1 4 0 25 5 1 5 16 70.41% 9.18% 18 11 0 -7
Team G IP BFP AB BB HBP SH SF CI H 2B 3B HR SO FEbat FErun OR R       ΔW ΔWyr
Guardians,
with actual fielding
3 27.0 111 101 7 2 0 1 0 22 5 1 2 20 750% 3.13% 11 16 --- ---
Guardians,
assuming average fielding
3 27.0 108 98 7 2 0 1 0 21 5 1 2 19 70.41% 9.18% 12 16 0 -6
Blue Jays,
with actual fielding
4 36.0 157 139 12 3 0 3 0 38 5 0 10 37 70.53% 7.55% 24 17 --- ---
Blue Jays,
assuming average fielding
4 36.0 153 135 12 3 0 3 0 37 5 0 10 36 70.41% 9.18% 25 17 0 -2
Diamondbacks,
with actual fielding
4 36.0 158 143 15 0 0 0 0 32 8 0 6 34 74.76% 1.96% 20 29 --- ---
Diamondbacks,
assuming average fielding
4 36.0 154 139 15 0 0 0 0 31 8 0 6 33 70.41% 9.18% 20 29 0 0
White Sox,
with actual fielding
3 27.0 105 94 8 2 0 1 0 19 2 0 2 23 75.71% 200% 8 8 --- ---
White Sox,
assuming average fielding
3 27.0 102 91 8 2 0 1 0 18 2 0 2 22 70.41% 9.18% 8 8 0 0
Rangers,
with actual fielding
4 36.0 151 134 16 1 0 0 0 26 5 0 3 42 74.16% 2.27% 14 13 --- ---
Rangers,
assuming average fielding
4 36.0 147 130 16 1 0 0 0 25 5 0 3 41 70.41% 9.18% 14 13 0 0
Twins,
with actual fielding
3 24.0 113 98 12 2 0 1 0 30 6 0 5 19 66.67% 6.82% 19 6 --- ---
Twins,
assuming average fielding
3 24.0 110 95 12 2 0 1 0 29 6 0 5 18 70.41% 9.18% 18 6 0 +1
Braves,
with actual fielding
4 32.0 138 122 12 1 1 2 0 33 9 0 3 28 68.09% 8.7% 17 8 --- ---
Braves,
assuming average fielding
4 32.0 134 119 12 1 1 2 0 32 9 0 3 27 70.41% 9.18% 16 8 0 +3
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
3 24.0 124 102 16 3 0 3 0 34 3 0 15 21 72.46% 3.7% 33 15 --- ---
Brewers,
assuming average fielding
3 24.0 121 99 16 3 0 3 0 33 3 0 15 20 70.41% 9.18% 31 15 0 +3
Orioles,
with actual fielding
4 34.0 147 128 15 1 0 3 0 33 8 0 3 32 68.75% 100% 17 24 --- ---
Orioles,
assuming average fielding
4 34.0 143 125 15 1 0 3 0 32 8 0 3 31 70.41% 9.18% 16 24 0 +4
Dodgers,
with actual fielding
5 46.0 195 169 23 1 0 2 0 36 5 3 3 59 69.72% 3.33% 20 25 --- ---
Dodgers,
assuming average fielding
5 46.0 190 164 22 1 0 2 0 35 5 3 3 57 70.41% 9.18% 19 25 0 +4
Pirates,
with actual fielding
4 36.1 156 136 15 2 2 1 0 34 8 1 2 32 69.52% 5.66% 18 17 --- ---
Pirates,
assuming average fielding
4 36.1 152 132 15 2 2 1 0 33 8 1 2 31 70.41% 9.18% 17 17 0 +4
Phillies,
with actual fielding
3 27.0 113 103 7 2 1 0 0 26 6 0 6 39 66.1% 5.71% 15 19 --- ---
Phillies,
assuming average fielding
3 27.0 110 100 7 2 1 0 0 25 6 0 6 38 70.41% 9.18% 14 19 0 +5
Yankees,
with actual fielding
3 27.0 121 110 8 2 0 1 0 26 3 0 3 32 69.74% 000% 15 33 --- ---
Yankees,
assuming average fielding
3 27.0 118 107 8 2 0 1 0 25 3 0 3 31 70.41% 9.18% 13 33 +1 +6
Cubs,
with actual fielding
6 52.0 243 204 30 3 2 4 0 60 20 0 8 42 67.5% 7.45% 39 24 --- ---
Cubs,
assuming average fielding
6 52.0 236 199 29 3 2 4 0 58 19 0 8 41 70.41% 9.18% 35 24 0 +7
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
3 27.0 106 100 3 2 0 1 0 22 5 0 1 31 69.57% 10.71% 8 14 --- ---
Rays,
assuming average fielding
3 27.0 103 97 3 2 0 1 0 21 5 0 1 30 70.41% 9.18% 7 14 0 +7
Nationals,
with actual fielding
3 28.0 128 109 18 1 0 0 0 30 4 1 5 30 66.22% 8.16% 19 15 --- ---
Nationals,
assuming average fielding
3 28.0 125 106 18 1 0 0 0 26 3 1 5 29 70.41% 9.18% 17 15 0 +8
Rockies,
with actual fielding
3 25.0 109 98 9 1 0 1 0 28 5 0 2 19 66.67% 12.82% 14 8 --- ---
Rockies,
assuming average fielding
3 25.0 106 95 9 1 0 1 0 27 5 0 2 18 70.41% 9.18% 12 8 0 +9




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This page was last modified on Tuesday, 1 April 2025, at 11:03 am Pacific Time.