Astros: Defensive Wins Above Replacement Leaders

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How do the 2022 Astros stack up as position players in defensive wins above replacement? Let’s take a look.

Nearly 50 games into the season, two Astros possess a wins above replacement value that ranks in the top-25 among all players in the majors. Jeremy Peña, an unknown variable stepping into the big shoes of former Houston All-Star shortstop, Carlos Correa, currently remains tied for the ninth highest WAR ranking in the big leagues with a 2.6.

Meanwhile, not too far behind, the Astros 2015 first round pick, Kyle Tucker, ranks 23rd in the majors with a WAR of exactly 2.0.

But did you know a separate category called defensive wins above replacement exists? Let’s take a look at how Astros position players fare as fielders compared to their counterparts across the majors up to this point into the season.

Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /

Defensive WAR: Catcher, Maldonado’s Rank: 20th

Astros starting catcher, Martín Maldonado, possesses a perfect fielding percentage, and ranks 20th in the majors as the most valuable defensive contributor at the catching position. Maldonado, a Gold Glove catcher in 2017, has allowed just three passed balls in 297 innings of work this season.

Moreover, Maldonado’s throwing arm boasts a caught stealing percentage of 45 percent. The 12-year-veteran’s presence behind the plate is very real, as opposing teams have attempted only 11 stolen bases in his 35 games of action this season.

Defensive WAR: 1B, Gurriel’s Rank: 15th

Yuli Gurriel ranks 15th among all MLB first basemen in defensive wins above replacement. His defensive WAR is -0.2, which might seem poor because the value registers as a negative number, but that still ranks better than half of the other starting first basemen in the majors. Through 42 games played, Gurriel has committed only two errors in 333 total chances.

Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

Defensive WAR: 2B, Altuve’s Rank: 15th

Because of Jose Altuve’s time off of the field earlier this season, the Astros relied on utility man Aledmys Díaz to play at second base for ten games. Díaz rose to the occasion in Altuve’s absence, earning 11th place among all second baseman with a +0.4 defensive WAR.

So far on the relatively young season, Altuve has played 33 games at second base and holds a defensive WAR of -0.1, good for 34th best among all second basemen in the majors.

Defensive WAR: SS, Peña’s Rank: 3rd

Rookie Jeremy Peña has dazzled offensively, far surpassing expectations. Defensively, he ranks third among all MLB shortstops with a +1.0 defensive WAR. Additionally, Peña’s .953 fielding percentage ranks as the 23rd best among all MLB shortstops this season.

Defensive WAR: 3B, Bregman’s Rank: 41st

Bregman has appeared in 46 games so far on the season for the Astros. He has committed two errors in 129 total chances, good for a .984 fielding percentage. While Bregman ranks 41st in defensive WAR at his position, the two-time All-Star is shining in a particular defensive category. Specifically, he currently ranks second in the majors among all third basemen in turning double plays.

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Defensive WAR: LF, Álvarez’s rank: 36th

The Astros left field position has been occupied by the offensively prolific Michael Brantley for the last several years. That’s not to say the 35-year-old veteran may be too old to play defensively everyday; however, perhaps Astros manager Dusty Baker feels that conserving Brantley’s energy by having him embrace a designated hitter role may lead to higher offensive output for the five-time All-Star.

Such a strategy might be working as Brantley possesses the second highest batting average on the Astros up to this point of the season. Brantley, thus far, has played in left field in only 21 of Houston’s nearly 50 games this season, while also having played a comparable amount of games solely as a designated hitter.

Meanwhile, Álvarez has received nearly 20 starts in left field. Álvarez ranks 36th in the majors at his position in defensive WAR with a -0.5 rating. The left-handed slugger currently possesses a sub-par .931 fielding percentage after two errors in 29 total chances; but to his credit, he has recorded one outfield assist.

Defensive WAR: CF, Siri’s Rank: Tied for 2nd

Meanwhile, Astros center fielder, José Siri, ranks second among all players at his position with a defensive wins above replacement value of +0.6. Of note, Siri remains tied with former Astro, Myles Straw, who currently roams center field for the Cleveland Guardians.

So with Siri, the Astros’ front office is experiencing comparable defensive production as they were when enjoying the elite speed afforded to the team’s center field position last season with Straw.

Defensive WAR: RF, Tucker’s Rank: Tied for 1st

You might have known that Tucker and Alvarez earned 2021 All-MLB second team honors, but did you know—Tucker is tied with Tampa Bay’s Brett Phillips for the best defensive WAR for a right fielder in the majors with a +0.7? Tucker has made one error in 99 total chances, leading to a superior .990 fielding percentage.

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Additionally, Tucker’s four outfield assists ties him for fifth place among all MLB outfielders when it comes to throwing out base runners. The left-handed slugger also boasts the second largest sample size of innings played going into Memorial Day among all right fielders. This makes committing only one error in over 385 total innings of work all the more impressive. A Gold Glove Award just might be on Tucker’s horizon.

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