When sports broadcasters talk about why the Astros are leading the AL West, they usually just mention the offense. But it’s much less often that defense is discussed. And that’s too bad, because defense is an important reason for the Astros’ performance this year.
The Fielding Bible tabulates a defensive runs saved team leaderboard. The Astros are No. 1 with 55 runs saved above average. The impact of the exceptional fielding performance shows up in the pitchers’ stats. Team fielding and pitching performance, in combination, comprise run prevention.
Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) does not include the effect of fieldng, but instead focuses on what the pitcher, alone, controls.