Baseball Statistics: Defensive Stats

Gold Gloves rarely go to the people who actually deserve them; otherwise Derek Jeter would never have won one. Fielding Percentage alone shows absolutely nothing about a player's defensive capabilities. All it shows is that a player cleanly fields a percentage of the balls you should be able to field. This is a problem because a player could sit in place, catch one ball, and then let balls go completely by him and his fielding percentage would never drop. Below are much better stats that will help show you the actual best defenders in the league, rather than whoever makes the flashiest plays to win a popularity contest, i.e. the gold glove award.

Range Factor (abbreviated RF)

Range Factor is calculated by dividing putouts and assists by number of innings or games played at a given defense position. This statistic is more relevant in evaluating defensive play than the conventional statistic, known as fielding percentage.

There are two variations of Range Factor

Range Factor = (Putouts + Assists) x Games played

And

Range Factor = (Putouts + Assists) x 9 / Innings Played

Gold Gloves rarely go to the people who actually deserve them; otherwise Derek Jeter would never have won one. Here are the best defensive players at each position, determined by Range Factor.

(Pitcher and Catcher have been excluded; minimum of 125 games played at position)

Range Factor / Game

American League

Pos Team Name Range Factor/G

1B LAA Mark Teixeira 9.8

2B TEX Ian Kinsler 5.6

3B 5-way tie Mike Lowell, Adrian Beltre, Joe Crede, Evan Longoria, and Melvin Mora 2.7

SS 3-way tie Michael Young, Jhonny Peralta, and Orlando Cabrera 4.4

OF TBR B.J. Upton 2.8

OF MIN Carlos Gomez 2.9

OF DET Curtis Granderson 2.7

National League

Pos Team Name Range Factor/G

1B STL Albert Pujols 9.9

2B PHI Chase Utley 5.1

3B WSN Ryan Zimmerman 2.8

SS ATL Yunel Escobar 4.7

OF WSN Lastings Milledge 2.6

OF SFG Aaron Rowand 2.9

OF NYM Carlos Beltran 2.7

Ranger Factor / 9 (minimum of 1000 innings played at position)

American League

Pos Team Name Range Factor/9

1B LAA Mark Teixeira 10.1

2B TEX Ian Kinsler 5.8

3B BAL Melvin Mora 2.9

SS CHW Orlando Cabrera 4.6

OF TBR B.J. Upton 2.8

OF MIN Carlos Gomez 3.2