Teams that Best Controlled the Running Game

As a part of the Baseball Info Solutions defensive metrics, we estimate the number of runs that pitchers and catchers are able to save for their teams by controlling the running game. We divide up the credit for each stolen base and each caught stealing by looking at the pitcher/catcher battery and their track records for preventing stolen bases with and without each other. We also give out some credit to pitchers and catchers when runners are too intimidated to attempt to steal at all. For example, many fewer baserunners were willing to give it a go with Yadier Molina (46) behind the plate than with Salvador Perez (71) despite the fact that both played 1115.1 innings at catcher in 2013.

Here are the top teams in 2013 at preventing stolen bases.

The Dodgers were the only team in baseball who ranked among the league leaders at basestealing prevention from both the pitcher's and the catcher's perspective. They are able to boast two starting pitchers either tied for best in the league or very close to it (Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke) and a catcher tied for third-best in MLB in A.J. Ellis.

On the other side, we have the bottom five in 2013.

Detroit catchers were simply horrific in 2013 at preventing stolen bases, collectively coming one run away from the worst Catcher SB Runs Saved mark we have on record (since 2003). The lion's share of that figure was from Alex Avila, who cost the Tigers seven runs by himself, but Brayan Pena and Bryan Holaday didn't do the Tigers any baserunning prevention favors either. As a team, the Tigers threw out only 18 percent of runners on stolen base attempts, second-worst in the majors and far behind the league-average rate of 27 percent.