Over on our website, we’re looking at the defensive strengths and weaknesses of all 30 MLB teams heading into 2025. That makes our look at the top defensive storyline for each team heading into the season easier to do.  

We’ll do the American League this week and the National League next week. Click on the link for each team for a more detailed analysis.

Angels – It’s been a little while coming but Mike Trout is finally moving to right field, flipping places with Jo Adell, who will start the season in center field. Past studies that we’ve done at SIS show that center fielders improve by about 8 Runs Saved per 1,000 innings when moving to a corner spot. Meanwhile, Adell was the team’s top defensive outfielder last season, finishing with 6 Runs Saved. Corners typically decline about 7 runs per 1,000 innings when moving to center field.

Astros – Jose Altuve makes the move from second base to left field. This was another move that was some time in the making. Altuve totaled -41 Runs Saved over the last three seasons, the worst total for any second baseman.

Athletics – It could be another rough year for the Athletics in the field. Their top-performing defensive player among their current projected starters is Gio Urshela, who had 0 Runs Saved last season.

Blue Jays – The Blue Jays have been the top team in Defensive Runs Saved the last two seasons and they traded for the best defensive second baseman, Andrés Giménez, who is a wizard when it comes to making plays. He’s still in his prime at age 26 and is the runaway leader in Runs Saved at the position over the last three seasons. 

Guardians – The Guardians are the team that gave up Giménez and they’ll need to find a way to replace him if they want to finish among the top teams in Defensive Runs Saved again. They’ve finished in the top four twice in the last three seasons, including second last year. 

Mariners – The Mariners could have a very good outfield if Victor Robles plays like he did after joining the Mariners in the middle of last season and If Randy Arozarena has a season more like 2021 and 2023 (7 and 4 Runs Saved, respectively) than 2022 and 2024 (-6 and -8). 

Orioles – The Orioles were a Top 10 defensive team in 2022 and 2023 before slipping to 19th in Runs Saved in 2024. They should be better in the outfield with newcomer Tyler O’Neill in left field and Colton Cowser moving to right field, replacing Anthony Santander. And they have the potential to be better at positions like catcher (Adley Rutschman) and shortstop (Gunnar Henderson). 

Rangers – The Rangers placed 11th in Runs Saved last season but have the pieces to be better if Josh Jung and Evan Carter, who looked so good in the 2023 postseason but dealt with injuries in 2024, are good at third base and center field, respectively.

Rays – The Rays’ best defensive players are in the minor leagues. Top prospect shortstop Carson Williams and first baseman Tre Morgan both have earned major props from scouts for their defense. Our metrics back that up. They’ve both notched positive Runs Saved totals in the minor leagues, which isn’t that easy to do.

Red Sox – The Alex Bregman/Rafael Devers ‘who plays third base?’ drama may play out for a little while, but there’s no contest as to which one is the better defender. Bregman, coming off a Gold Glove, will man the spot to start the season. He had 6 Runs Saved at third base last season, 15 more than Devers.

Royals – The Royals will try to find playing time for Freddy Fermin behind the plate. Salvador Perez has finished with negative Runs Saved at catcher for four straight seasons. Fermin finished 3rd in Runs Saved there in 2024 despite ranking 31st in innings caught.

Tigers – The Tigers finished 5th in Runs Saved last season, though the team got more from defensive positioning than it did from skill. One thing to watch will be how last year’s youngsters, like shortstop Trey Sweeney and center fielder Parker Meadows, follow up on impressive performances in 2024.

Twins – It’s said every year but keeping Byron Buxton on the field is vital for the Twins’ success. He had 2 Runs Saved in center field last season. Other Twins center fielders totaled -11 in nearly half of the available innings there.

White Sox – It can’t be worse for the White Sox than last year, right? They should be better defensively, at least in the outfield where Michael A. Taylor seems the likeliest candidate to play center field. Taylor has the most Runs Saved among center fielders over the last four seasons.

Yankees – Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm return to positions that have treated them well in the past. Judge has won a Fielding Bible Award for his play in right field. Chisholm has 6 Runs Saved in the equivalent of about a season’s worth of games at second base.