The Defensive AL West - Gary Armida's Blog

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Gary Armida's Blog

The Defensive AL West Stuck

Posted on July 17, 2012 at 07:46 AM.

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The American League East gets all of the attention. It is a division that is filled with potential World Series winners. East Coast bias isn�t really a factor when the division houses the Yankees, Rays, Red Sox, Blue Jays, and surprising Orioles. But, out west, there is a different type of baseball being played. It is a type of ball that often goes unnoticed on the highlight reels. The four team division has two teams, the Rangers and Angels, who are legitimate contenders. The A�s are a surprise, still on the periphery of the Wild Card race. The Mariners are still searching for offense as many of their young players have not developed as quickly as desired. All four teams, however, are playing elite level defense and, for the most part, getting above average pitching. In stark contrast the east powerball game, the teams out west are playing baseball at its most basic and most beautiful level.

One of the problems with quantifying defense is the inexact nature of measuring it. For years, analysts tended to use fielding percentage as the ultimate guide. But, as the game was more scrutinized, it was evident that all fielding percentages are not created equal. Cal Ripken�s fielding percentage was not the same as Omar Vizquel�s because Vizquel had more range and got to more batted balls. That led to a number of metrics created. Over the past few years, two metrics--UZR and defensive runs saved--have distinguished themselves as being more reliable. For the limitations in place, both metrics are accurate yet they sometimes do not agree. But, when looked at over a three year period, they generally tend to match. Once HIT FX becomes a reality, a true accurate measurement of defense will be available.

According to UZR, all four teams in the west are the best in the sport. The Mariners lead the league with a 33.1 UZR. They are followed by the Angels (26.8), the A�s (17.7), and the Rangers (16). To illustrate just how superior the four teams are, one just has to look at teams seven through 14. The number seven team, the Blue Jays, has a UZR of 4.1. The 14th team, the Tigers, is at minus-26.8.

Defensive runs saved has a bit of a different ranking. Yet, it still shows the strength of the division in the field. The Blue Jays actually lead the AL with a DRS of 59. Then, most of the west kicks in with the Mariners (35) ranking second, the Angels (29) ranking third, and the A�s (23) ranking fifth. The main difference is that the Rangers don�t fare well according to John Dewan�s system as their DRS is minus-15, which ranks 11th in the league. While the Rangers don�t rank well, both systems do show that the Mariners are clearly the best defensive team in the division, followed by the Angels and A�s.

And, with all of the ability of getting to a batted ball, the four teams, not surprisingly, have low error totals. The Mariners have committed the fewest errors in the league just 35 miscues. The Rangers have made 50, the Angels 55, and the A�s 58. While the latter three rank in the middle of the pack, it all goes back to not all errors are equal. The three west teams are getting to many more batted balls. The Mariners are playing elite level defense. They won�t get any publicity because their offense is as bad as their defense is elite. They should, however, be recognized for this elite skill. It makes for building a playoff team a bit easier as it is all about adding offense.

The west defenses support predominantly solid pitching staffs. The Rangers rotation strikes out 7.61 batters per nine innings, which ranks fourth in the league. The others staffs are in the middle to bottom of the pack with the Angels (6.89 K/9) ranking 8th, the Mariners (6.83 K/9) 9th, and the A�s (5.83 K/9) 12th. Aside from the Rangers, the rest of the division is definitely reliant on their defense. The A�s rotation strikeout average is almost unsustainable and cause for concern in the second half.

The type of staffs do fit the defenses to a degree. Three of the four worst rotations in the American League in terms of groundball percentage are in the west. The Rangers (11th), A�s (12th), and Mariners (last) are a predominantly flyball staff, putting more stress on the outfield. Not surprisingly, their respective outfields rank second, third, and fourth according to UZR.

In terms of ERA, the A�s rotation ranks first in the American League at 3.72. A look at their 4.02 FIP illustrates a staff that has benefited from their defense. The Angels rank third with a 3.89 ERA. Their FIP is 4.09, another indication their defense has helped the staff. The Rangers starters have actually outperformed their FIP, with an ERA of 4.03 while compiling a FIP of 3.90. This could help explain why DRS doesn�t rate the Rangers all that well. The Mariners staff actually have a nearly identical ERA (4.30) and FIP (4.29).

The bullpens show a different story. The Mariners, at least statistically, have the best bullpen in the division. They lead the AL in strikeouts per nine (9.08) and are fourth with a 3.13 ERA. The bullpen, also a flyball-heavy group, has a FIP of 3.68, illustrating some defensive help. The A�s bullpen gets the most help as their league leading 2.75 bullpen ERA is a full run better than their 3.67 FIP. Their 7.74 K/9 is just 10th among AL bullpens. The Rangers strike out 7.94 batters per nine innings, good for just 9th. Their 3.19 ERA is excellent, but their 3.37 FIP, while still stellar, shows they are supported by their defense.

For all of the publicity the Angels receive for their bullpen, the group strikes out just 7.67 per nine, 11th in the league. Their 3.36 ERA is just 8th in the league. Their FIP is actually a bit worse at 3.93. Ernesto Frieri and Scott Downs are having great seasons, but the entire bullpen is reliant on their defense more than most contending bullpens.

The Mariners should have a better record than their 37-53 mark. Their rotation is solid, their bullpen is very good, and their defense is elite. The offense is inexplicably bad, ranking last in on base percentage and slugging percentage. Their pythagorean win total should be 42.

Defense will never get the attention that offense does. But, the American League West division is where the elite defensive teams are. The Rangers have a league leading offense. With a solid pitching staff and an above average defense, they are a complete team. The Angels offense is getting better, ranking in the top half of the league in most categories. Their defense makes up for their pitching inefficiencies. The A�s have one of the worst offenses in the game, second only to the Mariners. Their pitching staff and defense are why they are still over .500 and in the wild card race. Defense and pitching can mask offensive problems to a degree. The A�s rank 8th in homeruns, which is just enough to support a league leading pitching staff and one of the better defenses in the league. The Mariners just don�t have enough offense yet, despite their elite defense.

The homerun ball may be king, but if a fan wants to see baseball at its most basic level, an American League West game will feature good pitching and some great defense. For most fans, that is a beautiful thing.

Comments

# 1 RaychelSnr @ Jul 17

Good stuff Gary! Definitely feel the West's brand of ball is conducive for success in the postseason, hoping my Rangers can keep the pressure up in the second half and keep the Division Crown in Arlington.

# 2 goalieump413 @ Jul 17

Great report! This bodes well for the M's. Playing elite level defense behind good pitching is something that you can't buy as easily as 40 HR's. There is the ballpark factor that deserves mention, especially in Seattle. Nonetheless, you still need to get to the ball to make the play.