Baseball is a game of failure. We know this. But there is nothing quite as jarring as the "E" flashing on a stadium scoreboard. It's a scarlet letter for a fielder. When you look at MLB errors by team, you’re seeing a raw tally of mistakes, but honestly, that number usually hides more than it reveals. A team with 90 errors might actually be "better" at defense than a team with 65. That sounds like a paradox, or maybe just some advanced-stat nerd talk, but it’s the reality of the modern game.
Defense is hard.
Some teams play it safe. They have slow shortstops with the range of a stationary mailbox. These guys don’t get to balls, so they don’t commit errors. They just let the ball roll into the outfield for a "hit." Meanwhile, a team like the 2024 Cincinnati Reds or the young, athletic squads of the current era might lead the league in errors simply because their players are fast enough to actually reach the ball. You can't bobble a ball you never touched.
👉 See also: Who Got Hurt in the Chiefs Game Today: Real-Time Injury Updates and Roster Fallout
The Reality of MLB Errors by Team and the Range Trap
If you look at the 2024 season stats, the Boston Red Sox finished at the bottom of the barrel. They had over 110 errors. It was ugly. Fenway Park witnessed some truly head-scratching moments, specifically in the middle infield and at third base. Rafael Devers, for all his monstrous power at the plate, has always struggled with the glove. But here's the kicker: the Miami Marlins also hovered near the top of the error leaderboards.
Does that mean they were the worst? Kinda, but not entirely.
Errors are a subjective stat. They are decided by an official scorer sitting in the press box who has about five seconds to decide if a play was "ordinary effort." What’s ordinary for Francisco Lindor isn't ordinary for a backup utility man. This creates a massive skew in how MLB errors by team are reported. Teams that play on natural grass often see more "bad hops" than those on turf, leading to higher error counts that aren't necessarily the fielder's fault.
The 2024 Statistical Breakdown
Last year, we saw a massive gap between the elite and the sloppy. The Houston Astros and the Arizona Diamondbacks were consistently near the top of the fielding percentage charts. They hovered around 40 to 60 errors for the entire season. Think about that for a second. Over 162 games, that's roughly one error every three games. It’s clinical. It’s boring. It’s winning baseball.
On the flip side, you had the Marlins and Red Sox. They were flirting with the triple-digit mark.
When a team crosses that 100-error threshold, it usually signals a lack of fundamental continuity. Maybe it's a rotating door at shortstop. Maybe it's a young third baseman who hasn't learned to calm his feet down before a throw. In Boston's case, it was a mix of poor positioning and just flat-out missing the ball. You simply can't win a Wild Card spot when you're giving teams four outs an inning. It kills a pitching staff's morale. Imagine being a pitcher, inducing a perfect double-play ball, and watching it scoot through your shortstop's legs. It changes how you pitch to the next guy. You start trying to strike everyone out because you don't trust the guys behind you. That leads to high pitch counts, early exits, and a burnt-out bullpen.
Why Fielding Percentage is the Worst Stat in Sports
I’ll say it: fielding percentage is useless. Well, maybe not useless, but it's like judging a chef solely on whether they burned the toast. It doesn't tell you if the meal actually tasted good.
- Errors don't account for range. If a ball is hit 10 feet to the left of a shortstop and he doesn't move, it's a hit. If a different shortstop dives, gets a glove on it, but can't make the transfer, it's an error.
- Official scorers are human. There is a known "home-field advantage" where scorers are more likely to give a home-team player a "hit" on a 50/50 ball to keep their batting average up.
- Throwing vs. Fielding. A catcher who has 10 errors might actually be great; he’s just aggressive at catching runners stealing.
If you're checking MLB errors by team to see who has the best defense, you're better off looking at Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) or Outs Above Average (OAA). For example, a team might have a high error count but still have a positive OAA because they are getting to balls that 28 other teams wouldn't even smell. The 2023 Kansas City Royals were a great example of this—lots of young talent, lots of range, but lots of "oops" moments that skewed their traditional stats.
The Mental Toll of the "E"
The physical act of an error is one thing. The psychological aftermath is another. When you look at the MLB errors by team data, you notice clusters. Errors are contagious. One bad throw in the third inning often leads to a muffed grounder in the fourth.
🔗 Read more: Finding Your Way: A Map of Citi Field Food for the Hungry Fan
Back in the day, the 1913 Philadelphia Athletics held the record for the fewest errors in a season with 155. Wait, that's not right—the records from the "dead-ball era" are wild because the fields were basically rock-strewn cow pastures. In the modern era, the 2013 Baltimore Orioles set a record with only 54 errors. They were a machine. Manny Machado at third base was a vacuum. That team proved that you could build an entire identity around not beating yourself.
But look at the 2024 season again. The Chicago White Sox were a disaster in almost every category, including defense. When a team is losing 100+ games, the focus shifts. Fundamentals slip. You start seeing "mental errors" which don't even show up in the MLB errors by team column. Missing a cutoff man? Not an error. Forgetting how many outs there are? Not an error. These are the "hidden" mistakes that actually lose games.
Turf vs. Grass: The Unfair Advantage?
We have to talk about the Rogers Centre or Tropicana Field. Playing on artificial turf changes the bounce. It’s predictable. Teams that play 81 games on turf generally have fewer "fielding" errors because the ball doesn't hit a pebble and jump over their shoulder.
When you compare MLB errors by team, always check where they play. A team like the Rockies, playing at Coors Field, has to deal with a massive outfield and thin air that makes breaking balls hang. Their infielders are often gassed. Context matters. Statistics without context are just noise. Honestly, if you put the 2013 Orioles on a 1920s dirt field, they’d probably kick 200 balls.
Young Teams and the Learning Curve
There is a direct correlation between service time and the error column.
- Rookies try too hard. They try to "force" plays that aren't there. Instead of eating the ball, they throw it into the stands.
- Internal clocks. Veterans know exactly how much time they have to get a runner like Giancarlo Stanton at first. Rookies panic and rush.
- Position Changes. In the "super-utility" era, we see guys playing second base one day and left field the next. This lack of muscle memory is a recipe for errors.
The 2024 Washington Nationals and Cincinnati Reds featured a lot of young "electric" players. These teams are fun to watch but they are prone to the "wow, did he really just do that?" mistake. Elly De La Cruz is a human highlight reel, but he’s also had stretches where the routine play looked impossible. That’s the trade-off. You take the 100mph throws and the incredible range, and you live with the occasional ball sailing into the first-base dugout.
How to Actually Use This Data
If you’re a gambler, a fantasy owner, or just a die-hard fan trying to win an argument at a bar, don't just cite the total number of errors. It's too simple.
Look for the "Error-to-Double-Play" ratio. If a team commits 100 errors but leads the league in double plays, they are effectively erasing their mistakes. The 2024 Rangers were decent at this. They had moments of sloppiness, but their ability to turn two saved their pitching staff's ERA.
✨ Don't miss: Ali vs Spinks 1: What Really Happened When the Greatest Lost to a Rookie
Also, check the "Passed Balls" and "Wild Pitches" count. These are often "team errors" that get credited to the catcher or pitcher but reflect the overall defensive vibe. A team that can't block a ball in the dirt is just as dangerous to itself as a team with a shaky shortstop.
Actionable Insights for the Savvy Fan
- Watch the "Quiet" Teams: Teams like the Blue Jays or Twins often fly under the radar because they don't make many "web gems," but their error counts are consistently low. This makes them "safe" teams to bet on in low-scoring games.
- Identify the "Chaos" Teams: If a team is in the top five for MLB errors by team, they are a nightmare for "Under" bettors. High error counts lead to unearned runs, which blow up total scores.
- Value Range Over Cleanliness: In fantasy baseball, don't bench a guy just because he has 20 errors. If he has range, he's getting you putouts and assists that help your team more than the "E" hurts it.
- Check the Weather: Early April games in Chicago or Detroit lead to frozen fingers and high error counts. It's a real thing. If it's 38 degrees, expect a mess.
Errors are a part of the soul of baseball. They represent the human element in a game that is increasingly being optimized by algorithms and shift-restrictions. While the shift ban has actually increased the number of errors (because second basemen now have to cover more ground), it has made the game more authentic. We get to see who can actually play the position.
So, the next time you see your team at the top of the MLB errors by team list, take a deep breath. Ask yourself: are they making errors because they suck, or are they making errors because they're actually trying to make plays? There's a big difference. One is a talent issue; the other is just the price of being aggressive.
If you want to track this in real-time, avoid the major network "summary" pages. Go to sites like FanGraphs or Baseball-Reference and look at the "Defensive Efficiency" stat. It measures the percentage of balls in play that a defense converts into an out. It’s a much more honest reflection of who’s actually good at baseball and who’s just lucky.
To get a better handle on team performance, start by looking at the "Unearned Runs" allowed per game. This shows the actual cost of those errors. A team might have a lot of errors that don't result in runs, while another team might make one error that costs them three runs. That's the stat that actually moves the needle on the standings. Stop focusing on the "E" and start focusing on the impact.