PHOENIX — The lasers are working. Or something is.
The Dodgers’ wholehearted embracing of advanced statistical analysis in defensive positioning — including laser range-finders to the annoyance of the New York Mets — has made them one of the most efficient defensive teams in baseball.
Using metrics that focus on the number of batted balls in play that are turned into outs, the Dodgers rank second in the National League behind only the Chicago Cubs at 72 percent. According to Baseball Prospectus’ numbers, the Dodgers are turning flyballs into outs at a slightly higher rate than they did a year ago.