No matter how you measure it, the New York Yankees have one of the best defenses in baseball this season. Their 14 Outs Above Average rank seventh in baseball, and their 4.6 UZR/150 is behind only the St. Louis Cardinals and Cleveland Guardians. For those who prefer more traditional metrics, their .988 fielding percentage also ranks third, behind the Cardinals and Mariners. Most impressively of all, their 71 Defensive Runs Saved lead the second-place Dodgers by a full 12 runs.
Sometimes, a great defensive play is the difference in a game, such as when DJ LeMahieu and Anthony Rizzo teamed up back on April 15th to help Michael King escape Aroldis Chapman’s bases loaded, nobody out jam unscathed.