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Fielding Effects


All raw data supplied courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.
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Fielding Effects

Through games of Wednesday, 20 October 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
Dodgers,
with actual fielding		 162 1452.0 5948 5335 486 63 36 24 4 1107 227 9 161 1599 73.98% 7.12% 543 792 --- ---
Dodgers,
assuming average fielding		 162 1452.0 5859 5255 479 62 35 24 4 1090 224 9 159 1575 70.41% 9.18% 570 792 -3 -3
Cardinals,
with actual fielding		 162 1417.0 6046 5281 608 85 33 39 0 1234 252 17 152 1225 72.79% 8.42% 640 698 --- ---
Cardinals,
assuming average fielding		 162 1417.0 5955 5202 599 84 33 38 0 1216 248 17 150 1207 70.41% 9.18% 666 698 -2 -2
Astros,
with actual fielding		 162 1445.0 6060 5389 549 70 21 31 0 1229 236 13 187 1456 72.56% 8.44% 638 834 --- ---
Astros,
assuming average fielding		 162 1445.0 5969 5308 541 69 21 31 0 1211 232 13 184 1434 70.41% 9.18% 656 834 -2 -2
Rays,
with actual fielding		 162 1455.2 5998 5454 436 55 19 34 0 1264 244 23 184 1478 71.91% 9.04% 612 780 --- ---
Rays,
assuming average fielding		 162 1455.2 5908 5372 429 54 19 33 0 1245 240 23 181 1456 70.41% 9.18% 620 780 -1 -1
Brewers,
with actual fielding		 162 1436.0 5990 5300 537 77 39 34 3 1156 200 18 168 1618 72.46% 7.38% 596 694 --- ---
Brewers,
assuming average fielding		 162 1436.0 5900 5221 529 76 38 33 3 1139 197 18 165 1594 70.41% 9.18% 605 694 -1 -1
Braves,
with actual fielding		 161 1410.2 5944 5279 516 66 39 42 2 1236 243 21 183 1417 71.99% 7.36% 641 749 --- ---
Braves,
assuming average fielding		 161 1410.2 5855 5200 508 65 38 41 2 1217 239 21 180 1396 70.41% 9.18% 650 749 -1 -1
Team G IP BFP AB BB HBP SH SF CI H 2B 3B HR SO FEbat FErun OR R       ΔW ΔWyr
Indians,
with actual fielding		 162 1408.0 5968 5337 522 59 15 32 3 1281 266 16 216 1391 71.8% 8.31% 695 670 --- ---
Indians,
assuming average fielding		 162 1408.0 5879 5257 514 58 15 32 3 1262 262 16 213 1370 70.41% 9.18% 700 670 0 0
Yankees,
with actual fielding		 162 1435.1 5999 5386 492 56 16 46 3 1243 232 15 196 1569 71.57% 7.64% 650 704 --- ---
Yankees,
assuming average fielding		 162 1435.1 5909 5305 485 55 16 45 3 1224 229 15 193 1546 70.41% 9.18% 647 704 0 0
Mariners,
with actual fielding		 162 1440.1 6106 5490 485 69 17 42 3 1356 288 26 197 1328 71.2% 8.23% 709 645 --- ---
Mariners,
assuming average fielding		 162 1440.1 6015 5408 478 68 17 41 3 1336 284 26 194 1308 70.41% 9.18% 706 645 0 0
Giants,
with actual fielding		 162 1455.0 6002 5452 416 63 36 32 3 1254 239 29 151 1425 72.03% 8.29% 583 781 --- ---
Giants,
assuming average fielding		 162 1455.0 5912 5370 410 62 35 32 3 1235 235 29 149 1404 70.41% 9.18% 587 781 0 0
Rangers,
with actual fielding		 162 1424.1 6103 5468 513 61 17 41 3 1402 249 19 232 1239 71.15% 9.23% 763 599 --- ---
Rangers,
assuming average fielding		 162 1424.1 6012 5386 505 60 17 40 3 1381 245 19 229 1220 70.41% 9.18% 760 599 0 0
White Sox,
with actual fielding		 162 1403.1 5861 5260 485 51 15 44 6 1205 199 26 182 1588 71.17% 7.46% 628 765 --- ---
White Sox,
assuming average fielding		 162 1403.1 5773 5181 478 50 15 43 6 1187 196 26 179 1564 70.41% 9.18% 619 765 +1 +1
Tigers,
with actual fielding		 162 1419.2 6164 5447 571 82 15 47 2 1370 259 28 199 1259 71.09% 7.75% 763 667 --- ---
Tigers,
assuming average fielding		 162 1419.2 6072 5365 562 81 15 46 2 1349 255 28 196 1240 70.41% 9.18% 752 667 +1 +1
Team G IP BFP AB BB HBP SH SF CI H 2B 3B HR SO FEbat FErun OR R       ΔW ΔWyr
Twins,
with actual fielding		 162 1419.1 6080 5460 484 62 21 50 3 1392 301 22 239 1317 70.99% 8.44% 778 724 --- ---
Twins,
assuming average fielding		 162 1419.1 5989 5378 477 61 21 49 3 1371 296 22 235 1297 70.41% 9.18% 762 724 +1 +1
Mets,
with actual fielding		 162 1379.1 5785 5175 475 70 27 33 5 1221 240 19 190 1453 71.3% 8.96% 634 638 --- ---
Mets,
assuming average fielding		 162 1379.1 5698 5098 468 69 27 33 5 1203 236 19 187 1431 70.41% 9.18% 631 638 +1 +1
Athletics,
with actual fielding		 162 1433.0 6060 5508 439 64 17 29 3 1362 247 18 191 1332 70.95% 7.07% 679 713 --- ---
Athletics,
assuming average fielding		 162 1433.0 5969 5426 432 63 17 29 3 1342 243 18 188 1312 70.41% 9.18% 670 713 +1 +1
Padres,
with actual fielding		 162 1430.0 6056 5380 516 87 33 39 1 1277 273 21 205 1517 71.26% 8.07% 690 700 --- ---
Padres,
assuming average fielding		 162 1430.0 5965 5299 508 86 33 38 1 1258 269 21 202 1494 70.41% 9.18% 683 700 +1 +1
Blue Jays,
with actual fielding		 162 1405.1 5916 5337 473 75 7 24 0 1257 248 19 209 1468 71.61% 8.31% 671 823 --- ---
Blue Jays,
assuming average fielding		 162 1405.1 5827 5257 466 74 7 24 0 1238 244 19 206 1446 70.41% 9.18% 666 823 +1 +1
Cubs,
with actual fielding		 162 1412.2 6202 5431 596 98 37 36 4 1386 283 14 235 1358 70.57% 8.01% 814 672 --- ---
Cubs,
assuming average fielding		 162 1412.2 6109 5350 587 97 36 35 4 1365 279 14 231 1338 70.41% 9.18% 786 672 +2 +2
Marlins,
with actual fielding		 162 1415.0 6027 5330 529 88 35 44 1 1282 305 31 162 1381 71.03% 9.45% 677 598 --- ---
Marlins,
assuming average fielding		 162 1415.0 5937 5250 521 87 34 43 1 1263 300 31 160 1360 70.41% 9.18% 657 598 +2 +2
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		 162 1394.1 6073 5361 548 71 48 41 4 1364 251 19 247 1346 71.04% 7.35% 789 738 --- ---
Nationals,
assuming average fielding		 162 1394.1 5982 5281 540 70 47 40 4 1315 242 19 243 1326 70.41% 9.18% 768 738 +2 +2
Reds,
with actual fielding		 162 1434.1 6199 5440 617 64 41 35 2 1330 261 30 206 1524 70.31% 7.51% 742 752 --- ---
Reds,
assuming average fielding		 162 1434.1 6106 5359 608 63 40 34 2 1310 257 30 203 1501 70.41% 9.18% 717 752 +3 +3
Rockies,
with actual fielding		 161 1397.0 6044 5377 539 63 28 36 1 1397 291 31 196 1269 69.79% 8.94% 752 696 --- ---
Rockies,
assuming average fielding		 161 1397.0 5954 5297 531 62 28 35 1 1376 287 31 193 1250 70.41% 9.18% 721 696 +3 +3
Royals,
with actual fielding		 162 1417.1 6127 5414 591 62 9 50 1 1375 259 24 189 1344 69.9% 9.59% 746 669 --- ---
Royals,
assuming average fielding		 162 1417.1 6035 5333 582 61 9 49 1 1354 255 24 186 1324 70.41% 9.18% 716 669 +3 +3
Phillies,
with actual fielding		 162 1418.2 6055 5418 509 75 34 19 0 1321 265 28 200 1480 70.43% 8.17% 697 709 --- ---
Phillies,
assuming average fielding		 162 1418.2 5964 5337 501 74 33 19 0 1301 261 28 197 1458 70.41% 9.18% 669 709 +3 +3
Pirates,
with actual fielding		 162 1396.1 6140 5379 606 78 29 48 0 1400 298 32 213 1312 69.8% 7.84% 807 604 --- ---
Pirates,
assuming average fielding		 162 1396.1 6048 5298 597 77 29 47 0 1379 294 32 210 1292 70.41% 9.18% 771 604 +3 +3
Diamondbacks,
with actual fielding		 162 1417.1 6270 5546 555 75 44 47 3 1480 327 45 232 1238 70.05% 6.7% 859 647 --- ---
Diamondbacks,
assuming average fielding		 162 1417.1 6176 5463 547 74 43 46 3 1458 322 44 229 1219 70.41% 9.18% 815 647 +4 +4
Team G IP BFP AB BB HBP SH SF CI H 2B 3B HR SO FEbat FErun OR R       ΔW ΔWyr
Orioles,
with actual fielding		 162 1402.0 6252 5562 563 68 13 46 0 1518 291 24 258 1234 69.48% 6.36% 894 651 --- ---
Orioles,
assuming average fielding		 162 1402.0 6158 5479 555 67 13 45 0 1495 287 24 254 1216 70.41% 9.18% 842 651 +4 +4
Angels,
with actual fielding		 162 1421.2 6196 5475 592 76 13 38 2 1373 283 13 188 1453 69.5% 7.43% 757 668 --- ---
Angels,
assuming average fielding		 162 1421.2 6103 5393 583 75 13 37 2 1352 279 13 185 1431 70.41% 9.18% 710 668 +4 +4
Red Sox,
with actual fielding		 162 1419.0 6147 5470 546 79 12 40 0 1409 306 20 176 1527 67.71% 9.13% 750 792 --- ---
Red Sox,
assuming average fielding		 162 1419.0 6055 5388 538 78 12 39 0 1388 301 20 173 1504 70.41% 9.18% 676 792 +8 +8



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This page was last modified on Thursday, 21 October 2021, at 1:40 pm Pacific Time.