Yankees’ 2025 Defense: Eye Test Vs. Advanced Metrics

It doesn’t take a genius to realize that the Yankees have been struggling with their team defense, especially during their games in Toronto. After all, four errors in one game are four errors, no matter how you look at it. According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, the Yankees have made 12 errors in their 10 games against the Blue Jays this season.

However, the advanced stats that teams like to use to quantify defense are not as harsh as what our eyes appear to be telling us. 

As Rosenthal wrote on Thursday, “Through Tuesday, the Yankees ranked second in defensive efficiency, the rate at which batted balls are converted into outs.” 

Brendan Kuty, also from The Athletic, wrote, “Going into Wednesday, the Yankees were sixth in baseball in total defensive runs saved with 33, according to FanGraphs. They were 17th in Outs Above Average with minus-4, according to Baseball Savant.”

Okay, maybe you do need to be a genius to understand how stats like defensive efficiency, defensive runs saved and Statcast-based Outs Above Average work. But rankings of second, sixth and 17th aren’t that bad. In fact, take out their 17th-ranked OAA and you’re talking about one of the best defensive teams in The League. But as you can see, with such a range of rankings, even the advanced stats don’t quite know how to judge the Yankees’ defense. 

Shortstop Anthony Volpe has become the poster child for the Yankees’ defensive problems, leading MLB with 13 errors. To the naked eye, that screams demotion. However, his OAA of minus-4 isn’t all that different from his rookie season, when he had an OAA of plus-one. And lest you forget, he won the Gold Glove award that year. 

Volpe’s problem this year has been his lateral movement in the field, especially when a right-handed hitter is at the plate. But based upon his year-over-year advanced metrics, you would think he’s having a season within his normal range. The eye test, though, is where he, like his teammates, fails.

Stats, like beauty, may be in the eye of the beholder, but there’s no question something is amiss with the Yankees’ defense.