At any level of baseball, good pitching is not guaranteed. In Little League, finding a kid who can consistently get the ball over the plate can be a herculean task. In the major leagues, pitchers must attempt to sneak fastballs past some of the strongest, most athletic, men in professional sports. Double-A is no different.

Of the ten pitchers with the most strikeouts in the Eastern League in 2012, six have since played in the major leagues. Out of that group, only a pair of hurlers have appeared in over 40 games, Minnesota’s Trevor May and New York’s Zack Wheeler.

It’s because of this that a key element to building a winning baseball team is a sturdy defense that’s there to collect the batted balls cleanly. The Binghamton Mets have certainly accomplished just that through their first 15 games of the 2016 season, as they currently have the fewest miscues in the Eastern League with ten. Their .984 fielding percentage is also number one. Take away a rare outfield miscue by Kyle Johnson and two from pitcher Luis Mateo and the Binghamton infield has erred a mere seven times in 341 total chances (2%).

Around the diamond, the B-Mets sport multiple defensive specialists. At first base, top prospect Dominic Smith, has been known to open some eyes. MLB.com grades his defense at a ’60’ on the 20-80 scale, and also tout his potential to be “an above-average defender at the corner position.” As Smith is the only top position-player prospect currently on Binghamton’s roster, it is certainly important to have a presence at first base, where an extreme amount of plays end up. Currently, Smith has completed 126 putouts, with nine assists. He has committed one error. Smith’s backup is Matt Oberste, who spends most of his time as the designated hitter and has only played three games in the field.

Similarly, second base has been consistent in terms of playing time and results. Manager Pedro Lopez has given L.J. Mazzilli the reigns, and the 25-year-old has taken full advantage of the opportunity. Commonly known as an average to below average defender at the position, Mazzilli has been remarkably consistent. His only miscue came when he was unable to cleanly field a grounder, but aside from that, he has accepted 53 chances, including nine double plays turned. Although he’s currently on the disabled list, Jeff McNeil saw action at second base to spell Mazzilli from time to time.

Playing time at shortstop has been split down the middle, as Derrik Gibson and Niuman Romero both have eight games under their belts. Romero was given the opening day start and has seen more chances with 37. The 31-year-old is notable for being the oldest player on Binghamton’s roster and the only hitter with major league experience, but his defense is nothing to write home about. Of his three errors at the position, Romero has made two overthrows and dropped one ball. Gibson has been more sure-handed for the most part. He’s completed all of his throws in addition to one dropped ball. For a position right in the middle of things, having a steady shortstop (or two) could make a significant difference in the outcome of games, and aide in the ERA’s of young pitchers.

Since the team doesn’t currently employ a natural third baseman, Binghamton has tried six players there, and surprisingly all have succeeded. Usually, when either Gibson or Romero mans shortstop, the other will slide over to the hot corner. Gibson has been perfect, while Romero made his third error at the position. As for alternative options, they aren’t pretty. McNeil can hold his own, but he’s currently inactive, and is native to the middle infield. Recently promoted Phillip Evans has seen action in one game so far but it took him four years to play something other than shortstop, and even then he’s played the least amount of games at third. Playing Oberste at third is certainly not ideal, although Lopez had to resort to just that when Romero was ejected in the eighth inning on April 19.

If there’s one thing to say about the B-Mets’ outfield, it’s that they’re an athletic bunch. Between Victor Cruzado, Maikis De La Cruz, and Stefan Sabol they are not lacking in speed and experience. Returnee Jared King has one of the team’s two outfield assists from left field, which he collected in his only game there. Sabol has added two more from right field.

As long as the defense holds up throughout the season, Binghamton should see a great deal of success. They recently snapped a six game losing streak, although the average margin of defeat of three runs during that stretch makes it look much less disappointing. It’s clear now that the B-Mets are back on track and ready to roll, with their sturdy defense as the backbone.