As we head down the stretch of the 2025 season, individual plays become magnified both for good and for bad, and that’s true on the defensive side too. A lot of the teams contending for division leads and playoff spots are good defensive teams at most positions. But that’s not the case everywhere. Some defensive players may cause their teams considerable angst.

We had a few to pick from when we considered the teams with the biggest defensive concerns over the final six-plus weeks of the season, but we landed on these three.

 Astros stolen base defense

The Astros have gotten -25 Runs Saved from their pitcher and catcher defense this season, the worst combined total in MLB. Most of that has come on stolen bases. They’ve allowed the second-most in the majors (124) and have the second-lowest caught stealing rate (13%). Yainer Diaz has caught only 8 of 84 and Victor Caratini—who has caught 5 of 53— ranks among the catchers with the slowest throws to second base, . Neither rates well in our pitch framing stat, Strike Zone Runs Saved, either.

The bullpen is as much on the hook for this as the starting pitchers. Astros relievers have allowed 53 steals in 58 attempts, with Bennett Sousa, Bryan Abreu, and Steven Okert yielding 27 stolen bases in 28 tries.

Houston has other issues. Second base and left field can be patched up by moving Jose Altuve to DH (which they’ve done). First base has been rough this year but Christian Walker has a long track record of success. The stolen base one is a tougher one to fix.

Most Stolen Bases Allowed – 2025 Season

Blue Jays shortstop and right field

The Blue Jays are a very good defensive team but they have two problematic spots.

At shortstop, only one player has fewer Runs Saved than Bo Bichette’s -10. Bichette’s range doesn’t rate well, relative to other shortstops, going to either his left or his right. But this is a situation where a lineup change isn’t going to happen. Bichette leads the American League in both hits and at-bats. He plays every day and the Blue Jays are going to have to hope he outhits his mistakes.

 Right field is more manageable with Nathan Lukes (9 Runs Saved in 71 career games there) a clearcut best defensive option though Addison Barger is the better hitter (but has -6 Runs Saved in 43 games this year). 

Phillies right field and double play turning

It is 100% true that Nick Castellanos has not made an error this season. However, that doesn’t show how he doesn’t get to as many balls as other right fielders do, and he doesn’t do as well at limiting baserunner advancement as others do.

Defensive Runs Saved measures that and it rates Castellanos poorly. He’s last among right fielders with -13 Runs Saved and he ranks last at the position over the last three seasons too (-33). It’s a combination of balls eluding him that others have made plays on and too much baserunner advancement on the hits he’s fielded.

Castellanos is in the middle of his ninth straight season with negative Runs Saved.

Now, I watched the 2022 postseason and saw Castellanos make some terrific plays, and it’s entirely possible that in a small sample, he could play great defense. These things happen. One case I usually cite is that Al Weis had a sub-.600 OPS for his career but went 5-for-11 with a home run in the 1969 World Series for the Miracle Mets. Would I have counted on him to replicate that? No. I’d say the same for Castellanos on defense.

There’s another thing that could come back and bite the Phillies. They’re on track to rank last in MLB in our Double Play Runs Saved stat for the third straight season.

This stat measures not just the number of double plays turned, but the number turned when an infielder touched a batted ball in a double play situation. Neither shortstop Trea Turner nor second baseman Bryson Stott has fared well at this over an extended period of time and it’s something that could burn the Phillies in a big moment.

Phillies Middle Infield – Last 3 Seasons