![]() Gleyber Torres was slightly below average by the metrics. Anthony Rizzo’s skills have declined (-3 OAA) and his back is wonky. ![]() Josh Donaldson and Aaron Judge were each above average by OAA in 2022. He sits atop the Baseball Prospectus leaderboard in virtually every category, most notably in regard to framing. Given the lack of turnover on their roster, though, it’s hard to be as dismissive about them as it is, say, Los Angeles. ![]() While the first mentioned, they could very well face a decline (more in a moment). The Yankees represent the case study for why this list is not being presented in order. Projected defensive lineups were based on projected depth charts via FanGraphs & Baseball Prospectus. A sort of next wave is mentioned as teams that could rise up as the season wears on, mostly thanks to some new additions. When relevant, catching metrics are hastily thrown in. OAA is leaned on more, given its versatility. This list was compiled primarily using OAA & DRS, both as a team and featuring individual standouts. The importance of range and its individual factors will loom large, but enough to really overhaul the defensive stalwarts of Major League Baseball? We’ll have to see.īecause of the uncertainty of how large a factor the shift elimination will represent - and we cannot overstate the impact that this could have on defense and defensive configuration - the top tier of Major League defense is presented in no particular order. We won’t truly know the defensive configuration of teams until we’re knee-deep in the regular season, as they push the absence of the shift to its limits I’d bet. The elimination of the shift is a really important consideration. The Los Angeles Dodgers, as an example, have the distinction of falling due to both of those elements. Roster turnover could lead to a drop for some injuries for others. Sure, there were some elite defensive clubs last year. That does make determining the best overall defenses heading into 2023 a challenging task, though. But I only have so many words with which to keep your attention and the goal here is the teams, not the overarching defensive metrics discourse. This is, of course, an oversimplification. This is to say nothing of catching metrics, which are largely excluded from the common metrics and still in their relative infancy. So we’ll just keep working with what we have. We won’t likely ever have a perfect defensive metric. But, ultimately, there is still enough subjectivity for flaws to trickle into each. OAA and DRS each have their merits, especially in being able to establish such context. You almost can’t expect one statistic to encompass all of it. But ultimately, there is just so much context in forming a statistical narrative about a defense. Especially over the old guard of fielding percentage or Range Factor. Sure, Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and Outs Above Average (OAA) are important steps. And the one thing I’ve learned over the last several years is that we still can’t genuinely quantify defense. I have also spent a lot of time examining defensive metrics in baseball. I’ve spent a lot of time watching defense. My favorite baseball archetypes are the elite defender that can’t hit (Hi, Nick Ahmed!) or the guy who can play decent enough defense all over and hit just a little bit (shoutout Josh Harrison). I’ll take quick hands, a snag on a short hop, or a diving catch in the outfield over virtually anything that a hitter or pitcher can do. My favorite things about baseball always involve a glove.
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