The Philadelphia Phillies are facing significant defensive challenges early in the season, ranking among the worst in Major League Baseball. Key metrics like Defensive Runs Saved, Outs Above Average, and errors highlight these issues.
Phillies have some major defensive problems they need to fix originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Philadelphia Phillies have one of the best bullpens in Major League Baseball, their starting rotation has elite upside, and their lineup, even amid their early-season struggles, can go toe-to-toe with any team if they're hot.
But there is one major issue with the team through the first few weeks of the season. Just as has been the case in recent years, the Phillies' defense is one of the worst in the Majors this season.
As @jayhaykid shared on Twitter/x, the Phillies defensive metrics are a big problem, specifically, in three key areas and statistics in Defensive Runs Saved, Outs Above Average, and errors.
"The Phillies have the worst defense in the NL by Defensive Runs Saved (-11), tied for the worst in Outs Above Average (-4), they have the worst defensive efficiency (.638), and have committed tied for the 3rd-most errors. Nice!" @jayhaykid shared.
According to Baseball Savant, the Phillies are tied with the San Francisco Giants with -4 Outs Above Average for the worst mark among National League teams.
The Tampa Bay Rays (-9), Seattle Mariners (-7), Detroit Tigers (-7), and the Los Angeles Angels (-5) are the only teams with a worse defense than the Phillies by OAA.
Based on defensive efficiency according to Baseball Reference, the Phillies' .638 mark is the worst by a wide margin, as the Houston Astros are second-worst at a .664.
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Add in the Phillies 12 errors on the season, which is the third-worst in the NL and the sixth-worst overall, and the Phillies defensive issues are very apparent.
Why is the Phillies' defense this bad? There are a few reasons, and players are responsible, but unfortunately, Bryce Harper might be the leading candidate. He's put up -5 Outs Above Average this season, the worst in all of MLB.
Trea Turner has a -2 OAA, while Justin Crawford and Brandon Marsh are both at -1 OAA to begin the season. Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm at 4 and 2 OAA are the only reasons the Phillies' defense isn't even worse than it already is.
The Phillies have a big defensive issue this season, and hopefully, things turn around. Otherwise, the Phillies might continue to struggle all year, especially come the postseason.
The Phillies are struggling with defensive metrics, particularly in Defensive Runs Saved, Outs Above Average, and the number of errors committed.
The Phillies currently rank among the worst teams in Major League Baseball in terms of defensive performance.
If the defensive problems persist, they could hinder the team's overall performance and chances of success throughout the season.
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