What a difference a year makes.
Well, a year and some key personnel changes.
In 2021, the Yankees were among the worst defensive teams in the league, and it was easy to tell whether you used the eye test or advanced metrics. The team’s collected defensive runs saved (DRS) was -41 last season, second worst in all of baseball.
But this winter, an offseason widely criticized due to the team declining to go after one of the many big-name free agents that were there for the taking, Brian Cashman and company pulled off a trade to acquire Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa, dealt for catcher Jose Trevino, and brought back Anthoyn Rizzo at first base.
Kiner-Falefa, a glove-first shortstop who has surprised with his red-hot bat after a slow start at the plate, represented a massive upgrade from Gleyber Torres, who moved back to second base late last season after struggling badly at short all year. Gio Urshela was known for his nifty plays at the hot corner, but was never a defensive metrics darling. And Rizzo was an obvious upgrade over Luke Voit, though Voit didn’t get much playing time at first last season because of his four different IL stints.
But already this season, the changes are apparent. The Yanks look more crisp in the infield, and it shows on paper. As ESPN’s Buster Olney pointed out Tuesday morning, the Yanks’ DRS so far this season is +13, the seventh-best mark in the league. The team is on pace to surrender 36 unearned runs this season, nearly half of the 68 they allowed last year.
The new acquisitions are leading the way in Donaldson, Trevino, and Kiner-Falefa in the DRS department, per Baseball Reference, while Kiner-Falefa is chipping in at the plate as well. So far, the team’s offseason additions have been key to the team’s 10-game winning streak.
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