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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 Friday, 20 May 2022.
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
Angels,
with actual fielding		 41 363.2 1489 1335 122 14 8 9 1 287 61 1 41 321 75.15% 8.03% 142 181 --- ---
Angels,
assuming average fielding		 41 363.2 1449 1299 119 14 8 9 1 279 59 1 40 312 70.41% 9.18% 157 181 -2 -7
Rays,
with actual fielding		 39 349.2 1428 1309 95 15 2 5 2 286 48 7 45 341 74.09% 5.37% 142 156 --- ---
Rays,
assuming average fielding		 39 349.2 1390 1274 92 15 2 5 2 278 47 7 44 332 70.41% 9.18% 151 156 -1 -5
Dodgers,
with actual fielding		 38 337.2 1367 1241 99 15 2 10 0 264 54 7 34 335 73.98% 8.25% 125 177 --- ---
Dodgers,
assuming average fielding		 38 337.2 1330 1208 96 15 2 10 0 257 53 7 33 326 70.41% 9.18% 134 177 -1 -5
Astros,
with actual fielding		 40 352.1 1439 1294 111 19 7 8 0 284 55 3 31 321 73.56% 900% 128 175 --- ---
Astros,
assuming average fielding		 40 352.1 1401 1259 108 18 7 8 0 276 54 3 30 312 70.41% 9.18% 138 175 -2 -5
Red Sox,
with actual fielding		 39 347.2 1449 1291 121 20 4 13 0 287 49 1 49 342 74.05% 5.49% 155 154 --- ---
Red Sox,
assuming average fielding		 39 347.2 1410 1256 118 19 4 13 0 279 48 1 48 333 70.41% 9.18% 164 154 -1 -5
Tigers,
with actual fielding		 39 338.1 1397 1256 117 4 6 14 0 289 56 8 38 288 73.58% 9.05% 144 108 --- ---
Tigers,
assuming average fielding		 39 338.1 1360 1222 114 4 6 14 0 281 55 8 37 280 70.41% 9.18% 153 108 -1 -4
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		 36 318.2 1325 1178 112 17 7 11 0 269 61 3 36 286 73.34% 8.31% 139 155 --- ---
Guardians,
assuming average fielding		 36 318.2 1290 1146 109 17 7 11 0 262 59 3 35 278 70.41% 9.18% 147 155 -1 -4
Padres,
with actual fielding		 39 350.0 1442 1299 116 15 0 10 2 289 52 0 39 361 72.5% 6.35% 140 156 --- ---
Padres,
assuming average fielding		 39 350.0 1403 1264 113 15 0 10 2 281 51 0 38 351 70.41% 9.18% 145 156 0 -3
Marlins,
with actual fielding		 38 335.2 1396 1240 131 14 2 9 0 275 63 6 38 335 73.01% 9.7% 146 164 --- ---
Marlins,
assuming average fielding		 38 335.2 1359 1207 127 14 2 9 0 268 61 6 37 326 70.41% 9.18% 151 164 -1 -3
Diamondbacks,
with actual fielding		 41 361.0 1523 1354 129 17 4 16 3 319 59 3 39 292 73.15% 8.49% 163 152 --- ---
Diamondbacks,
assuming average fielding		 41 361.0 1482 1318 126 17 4 16 3 310 57 3 38 284 70.41% 9.18% 169 152 -1 -3
Cardinals,
with actual fielding		 39 342.0 1437 1282 122 21 3 9 0 306 57 3 36 288 72.16% 10.04% 150 173 --- ---
Cardinals,
assuming average fielding		 39 342.0 1399 1248 119 20 3 9 0 298 55 3 35 280 70.41% 9.18% 154 173 0 -2
Twins,
with actual fielding		 39 345.0 1431 1295 112 10 0 14 0 300 66 7 41 335 72.24% 7.66% 153 159 --- ---
Twins,
assuming average fielding		 39 345.0 1393 1260 109 10 0 14 0 292 64 7 40 326 70.41% 9.18% 156 159 0 -2
Blue Jays,
with actual fielding		 39 342.2 1427 1294 101 12 4 16 0 308 71 4 35 310 71.83% 6.53% 150 148 --- ---
Blue Jays,
assuming average fielding		 39 342.2 1389 1259 98 12 4 16 0 300 69 4 34 302 70.41% 9.18% 151 148 0 -1
Team G IP BFP AB BB HBP SH SF CI H 2B 3B HR SO FEbat FErun OR R       ΔW ΔWyr
Yankees,
with actual fielding		 38 340.1 1393 1259 103 15 5 8 3 276 64 1 29 353 72.25% 7.62% 125 182 --- ---
Yankees,
assuming average fielding		 38 340.1 1356 1225 100 15 5 8 3 269 62 1 28 344 70.41% 9.18% 127 182 0 -1
Mets,
with actual fielding		 40 357.0 1462 1324 109 17 3 9 0 295 53 3 37 379 71.96% 7.94% 137 176 --- ---
Mets,
assuming average fielding		 40 357.0 1423 1289 106 17 3 9 0 287 52 3 36 369 70.41% 9.18% 140 176 -1 -1
Cubs,
with actual fielding		 38 331.0 1388 1248 116 11 3 8 2 305 60 9 45 324 70.79% 10.2% 158 145 --- ---
Cubs,
assuming average fielding		 38 331.0 1351 1215 113 11 3 8 2 297 58 9 44 315 70.41% 9.18% 157 145 +1 0
Royals,
with actual fielding		 38 336.0 1453 1285 136 13 1 18 0 331 57 7 35 262 70.61% 7.39% 175 140 --- ---
Royals,
assuming average fielding		 38 336.0 1414 1251 132 13 1 18 0 322 55 7 34 255 70.41% 9.18% 173 140 0 0
Brewers,
with actual fielding		 39 344.0 1435 1276 128 15 2 11 3 273 55 4 34 404 71.92% 5.15% 139 175 --- ---
Brewers,
assuming average fielding		 39 344.0 1397 1242 125 15 2 11 3 266 54 4 33 393 70.41% 9.18% 139 175 0 0
Athletics,
with actual fielding		 41 362.2 1522 1370 125 14 5 8 0 325 79 6 34 321 71.69% 8.98% 156 117 --- ---
Athletics,
assuming average fielding		 41 362.2 1481 1333 122 14 5 8 0 316 77 6 33 312 70.41% 9.18% 156 117 0 0
Mariners,
with actual fielding		 40 348.0 1473 1319 130 13 2 8 1 320 54 7 51 341 71.29% 8.26% 173 163 --- ---
Mariners,
assuming average fielding		 40 348.0 1434 1284 127 13 2 8 1 311 53 7 50 332 70.41% 9.18% 173 163 0 0
Team G IP BFP AB BB HBP SH SF CI H 2B 3B HR SO FEbat FErun OR R       ΔW ΔWyr
Rangers,
with actual fielding		 38 337.0 1435 1262 141 16 6 10 0 296 61 3 44 334 720% 8.57% 165 140 --- ---
Rangers,
assuming average fielding		 38 337.0 1397 1228 137 16 6 10 0 288 59 3 43 325 70.41% 9.18% 165 140 0 0
Braves,
with actual fielding		 39 346.0 1473 1303 139 16 2 12 1 299 61 4 29 358 70.97% 5.17% 152 158 --- ---
Braves,
assuming average fielding		 39 346.0 1434 1268 135 16 2 12 1 291 59 4 28 348 70.41% 9.18% 149 158 +1 +1
Orioles,
with actual fielding		 40 353.0 1486 1323 124 19 3 16 1 334 69 5 38 295 70.66% 12.15% 170 152 --- ---
Orioles,
assuming average fielding		 40 353.0 1446 1288 121 18 3 16 1 325 67 5 37 287 70.41% 9.18% 167 152 0 +1
Pirates,
with actual fielding		 38 332.0 1451 1275 146 16 1 12 1 304 74 2 36 299 71.88% 5.98% 171 128 --- ---
Pirates,
assuming average fielding		 38 332.0 1412 1241 142 16 1 12 1 296 72 2 35 291 70.41% 9.18% 166 128 +1 +2
Reds,
with actual fielding		 38 325.0 1451 1248 166 23 0 14 0 323 69 8 50 320 69.39% 7.74% 201 126 --- ---
Reds,
assuming average fielding		 38 325.0 1412 1215 162 22 0 14 0 314 67 8 49 311 70.41% 9.18% 193 126 +1 +3
Phillies,
with actual fielding		 39 344.2 1459 1296 126 22 3 12 0 310 64 8 29 345 70.01% 8.57% 153 170 --- ---
Phillies,
assuming average fielding		 39 344.2 1420 1261 123 21 3 12 0 302 62 8 28 336 70.41% 9.18% 147 170 +1 +3
White Sox,
with actual fielding		 38 340.0 1453 1282 146 12 1 12 0 303 60 5 34 364 70.01% 7.19% 161 133 --- ---
White Sox,
assuming average fielding		 38 340.0 1414 1248 142 12 1 12 0 295 58 5 33 354 70.41% 9.18% 153 133 +1 +4
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		 40 349.2 1549 1355 153 23 4 14 0 357 60 7 44 319 69.01% 8.24% 201 145 --- ---
Nationals,
assuming average fielding		 40 349.2 1508 1319 149 22 4 14 0 321 54 7 43 310 70.41% 9.18% 186 145 +1 +6
Rockies,
with actual fielding		 37 324.0 1431 1270 126 12 4 19 0 359 68 10 38 266 67.54% 9.27% 195 170 --- ---
Rockies,
assuming average fielding		 37 324.0 1393 1236 123 12 4 18 0 349 66 10 37 259 70.41% 9.18% 176 170 +2 +7
Giants,
with actual fielding		 38 337.1 1427 1302 104 11 3 7 0 334 72 6 27 322 68.12% 8.13% 152 183 --- ---
Giants,
assuming average fielding		 38 337.1 1389 1267 101 11 3 7 0 325 70 6 26 313 70.41% 9.18% 138 183 +2 +7



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