Overview
An assist is credited to a fielder whose throw contributes to recording an out. When a shortstop fields a grounder and throws to first base for the out, the shortstop receives an assist and the first baseman a putout. Shortstops and third basemen structurally accumulate the most assists, making season assist totals a traditional measure of shortstop defense. Outfield assists, recorded when a throw cuts down a runner, are prized as evidence of a strong arm; Ichiro's outfield assists became legendary in MLB. Assists and putouts combine to form total chances, against which errors determine fielding percentage, but players with greater range encounter more chances and thus more errors, limiting fielding percentage as a standalone defensive metric.