With 2 months until baseball in Chicago returns, I thought it would be interesting to look at the all time rankings in both offensive and defensive categories for all iterations of the current 30 teams for the 833 games I’ve identified that I have attended. We continue today on the defensive side of the ball with bases on balls surrendered.
Based on the raw numbers, the White Sox and Cubs are far and away the leaders in this category, as they are the teams I’ve seen the most. When you adjust the numbers per game, 4 teams are averaging 4 or more walks per game, with the California incarnation of the Angels leading the pack with 5. The Cubs find themselves, unfortunately, in the top 10 at 3.42 walks per game, while the White Sox are in the bottom half (or top half, depending on your point of view) with 3.19 walks per game. The Anaheim version of the Angels and the Miami version of the Marlins bring up the rear as the only teams with less than 2 walks per game, at 1.5 a piece.
| Team Name | Walks |
|---|---|
| Chicago White Sox | 1610 |
| Chicago Cubs | 1308 |
| Cleveland Indians | 156 |
| Kansas City Royals | 151 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 133 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 128 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 125 |
| Seattle Mariners | 120 |
| Detroit Tigers | 116 |
| Minnesota Twins
|
115 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 113 |
| Texas Rangers | 107 |
| Houston Astros | 102 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 100 |
| Los Angeles Angels | 81 |
| Boston Red Sox | 71 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 71 |
| Florida Marlins | 69 |
| Oakland Athletics | 69 |
| San Diego Padres | 59 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 58 |
| San Francisco Giants | 56 |
| Colorado Rockies | 55 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 50 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 49 |
| Atlanta Braves | 49 |
| New York Yankees | 46 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 43 |
| New York Mets | 39 |
| Washington Nationals | 34 |
| Tampa Bay Devil Rays | 20 |
| Montreal Expos | 15 |
| California Angels | 5 |
| Anaheim Angels | 3 |
| Miami Marlins | 3 |
| Team Name | Walks |
|---|---|
| California Angels | 5 |
| Washington Nationals | 4.25 |
| Colorado Rockies | 4.23076923076923 |
| Tampa Bay Devil Rays | 4 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 3.76666666666667 |
| Seattle Mariners | 3.75 |
| Cleveland Indians | 3.54545454545455 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 3.47222222222222 |
| Chicago Cubs | 3.42408376963351 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 3.41025641025641 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 3.33333333333333 |
| San Francisco Giants | 3.29411764705882 |
| Kansas City Royals | 3.28260869565217 |
| San Diego Padres | 3.27777777777778 |
| Texas Rangers | 3.24242424242424 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 3.22727272727273 |
| Chicago White Sox | 3.19444444444444 |
| Oakland Athletics | 3.13636363636364 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 3.125 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 3.04761904761905 |
| Florida Marlins | 3 |
| Montreal Expos | 3 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 2.88235294117647 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 2.86666666666667 |
| Detroit Tigers | 2.82926829268293 |
| Los Angeles Angels | 2.79310344827586 |
| New York Mets | 2.78571428571429 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 2.76190476190476 |
| Boston Red Sox | 2.73076923076923 |
| Atlanta Braves | 2.72222222222222 |
| Houston Astros | 2.55 |
| Minnesota Twins | 2.21153846153846 |
| New York Yankees | 2.19047619047619 |
| Anaheim Angels | 1.5 |
| Miami Marlins | 1.5 |