Final 12 months, Mark Simon of Sports activities Data Options requested me to vote on the Fielding Bible awards. Should you’re not accustomed to them, they’re my most popular defensive award, created by John Dewan and SIS in 2006. They’re a Gold Glove equal for the main leagues as a complete, with one award given out per place. Members of a panel made up of quite a lot of baseball consultants vote for 5 gamers at every spot; there are additionally extra awards for finest multi-position defender, defensive participant of the 12 months, and defensive staff of the 12 months. I’m completely satisfied to say that Mark was form sufficient to ask me to take part once more this 12 months. The outcomes might be launched tomorrow, October 23, at 2 PM ET.
Voting for a nationwide award is a prestigious honor, and this explicit award carries additional which means for me. The record of panelists is a who’s who of the writers and commentators who received me into baseball. Peter Gammons is a frequent voter, for goodness sake. Invoice James, the godfather of sabermetrics, was an inaugural panel member. The founding father of Strat-o-Matic votes! I completely wouldn’t be doing this job right this moment if I hadn’t spent entire summers as a child enjoying my All-Stars towards my dad’s squad in that formative simulation. Voting for this award has been a dream come true.
Final 12 months, I spent a while speaking to MLB Chief Information Architect Tom Tango in regards to the correct means to consider the constellation of respected superior defensive metrics I had to select from when assessing gamers. It’s a veritable acronym soup on the market. There’s DRS, FRV, and DRP, in addition to legacy and element metrics like UZR, OAA, RDA, and Whole Zone. Every of those methods makes an attempt to measure protection quantitatively. All of them have their deserves, and all of them do a reasonably strong job of what they are saying on the label, because it have been. Alternatively, they don’t all the time agree. For example, Zach Neto was both 13 runs above common (DRS), three runs beneath common (FRV), or roughly common (DRP) in 2025. Complicated!
Neto is hardly the one participant to fall into this camp. That’s a part of the explanation there are such a lot of defensive methods, in actual fact; if all of them mentioned the identical factor, there could be no want for this dizzying array of choices. Every system has its personal methodology, and measures success and failure utilizing its personal definitions. A holistic, overarching view of protection requires weighting every of those metrics rigorously after which coming to an general view of every participant primarily based on every system’s explicit deserves. To make issues much more complicated, every “system” is itself a number of methods specialised for particular person positions. The primary base mannequin and the left area mannequin clearly can’t be the identical, and don’t even get me began on catching.
I’ll spare you the nitty gritty of how I dealt with this tough puzzle (final 12 months’s model of this text affords a deep dive into my strategies if you happen to’re ), however I created weighted rating scores for every place primarily based on the relative stability of the metrics and used that to create my preliminary rankings. From there, I used my very own experience and judgment to maneuver gamers round from their preliminary ordering. I attempted to have a light-weight contact general, although. No quantity of eye check vibes might overrule the truth that Heliot Ramos grades out as one of many worst defenders within the main leagues (for the report, his protection fails the attention check, too). I thought of previous defensive worth as a result of I do know that single-season defensive statistics are noisy, however principally as a tiebreaker; I’m trying to vote for the very best defenders within the main leagues in 2025, not the very best defenders of the previous few years.
I feel this course of did a great job of mixing the very best data that publicly obtainable defensive methods can produce with a vital, evidence-focused eye on the sport. I watch a ton of baseball, and I additionally spend fairly a little bit of time enthusiastic about how you can measure participant ability, and the boundaries of doing so. I’m simply speaking my very own e book right here, however I actually do imagine that is the easiest way I can decide who performed the very best protection in baseball this season. So with out additional ado, let’s have a look at my infield poll.
Catcher
1. Patrick Bailey
2. Alejandro Kirk
3. Dillon Dingler
4. Cal Raleigh
5. Luis Torrens
For the second 12 months working, voting for Bailey was a no brainer. He’s the very best receiver in baseball, and it’s not shut. Statcast has him a whopping 9 runs forward of the second place Kirk, and different framing metrics give Bailey barely extra of an edge. Even with out a pc conserving monitor, Bailey’s strike-stealing prowess is apparent. Simply watch Giants opponents go away the batter’s field; they’ll inform you all it’s essential to know. However it’s not simply in regards to the receiving. Bailey can also be among the many finest catchers within the majors at controlling the working sport. A straightforward means to consider it: Bailey threw out 31% of would-be base stealers this 12 months. Different Giants catchers managed an combination 16% caught stealing price, and runners stole 50% extra usually on them. In different phrases, Bailey turned off the working sport nearly utterly. He was additionally among the finest blockers within the league this 12 months for good measure, an enormous level of enchancment since 2024. This was the best vote on my poll.
The runners up have been no slouches, to be clear. Kirk won’t have come into the majors with the fame of an elite defender, however he completely is one, and I feel he’s the very best defensive catcher within the American League. Like Bailey, he’s an awesome receiver. He’s additionally the very best blocker within the sport per Statcast, and I agree with their evaluation. He’s common at controlling the run sport, however hey, they’ll’t all be Bailey. Dingler received my third place vote as a result of he’s effectively rounded, above common in each side of catcher protection. He and Bailey have related worth general – Dingler boasts worse protection however higher offense – making him among the finest younger catchers within the sport. This can be a defensive award, although, and the 2 guys forward of him have been simply higher this 12 months.
Each Raleigh and Torrens had their ups and downs. Raleigh’s framing declined fairly a bit this season – hitting 60 homers is tough work – and DRS was not a fan of his general play behind the plate, although the opposite two methods appreciated him effectively sufficient. Torrens’ energy was his arm; he was the very best in baseball at controlling opposing baserunners and middling within the different facets of protection. DRP was much less of a fan of him than the opposite methods, however each FRV and DRS thought he was wonderful. The opposite catchers I gave robust consideration to have been Austin Wells, Carlos Narváez, Pedro Pagés, and Sean Murphy.
First Base
1. Matt Olson
2. Carlos Santana
3. Spencer Steer
4. Ty France
5. Rhys Hoskins
Olson was a straightforward first place selection at first base. He excels throughout the board in all the pieces you may think about needing your first baseman to do, and he additionally performs each single sport. He’s rangy making performs, with nice fingers and an enormous attain, and I need to be very clear that each defensive system, in addition to my eye check, was in settlement. Olson led first basemen in DRS (the measure my mannequin likes most at first), FRV, and DRP; in different phrases, it was unanimous. Santana was no slouch himself, with constructive evaluations from all three methods. The truth is, he completed second in every of them due to his all-around defensive excellence. If he performed as a lot as Olson, he may need challenged him for the highest spot, however Olson’s mixture of quantity and price was unmatched.
The opposite three names on this record in all probability look a bit misplaced, however I be ok with every vote. Steer lastly discovered a defensive house this season after years of shuttling across the diamond, and he put collectively a wonderful marketing campaign. He’s undersized at 5-foot-9, however he makes up for it with good vary behind the bag. The extra groups push the boundaries of what constitutes a authorized shift, the extra first basemen must make performs, and guys like Steer have been massive beneficiaries. He appeared nice on the market to my eye, and he was fourth in my uncooked rankings; I bumped him as much as third place as a result of I assumed he appeared extra snug the extra time he received on the place.
France positioned third earlier than my handbook changes, and I watched quite a lot of clips to substantiate what the numbers have been saying: His issues this 12 months have been on the offensive finish, not within the area. This was undoubtedly his finest 12 months defensively; he’s been a poor fielder for many of his profession. That led me to spherical him down barely, as a result of I’m so much much less assured in my analysis of him than I’m of the highest few, however he completely deserves a spot on this record. Hoskins in all probability appears even weirder right here; once I consider famously dangerous defenders, he often involves thoughts (as a left fielder). He additionally barely performed this 12 months; he solely recorded 670 innings at first. However he was wonderful! DRS, FRV, and DRP all agreed that he was among the finest first basemen within the sport on a per-inning foundation. He had an inexpensive variety of scoops per sport. He appeared the half. It’s a kind of basic ironies that Hoskins received higher at protection simply in time for groups to not want his offense anymore, and I assumed that his spectacular enchancment merited recognition, even when I by no means severely thought of him for the highest spot.
Second Base
1. Nico Hoerner
2. Andrés Giménez
3. Xavier Edwards
4. Marcus Semien
5. Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Hoerner is principally a shortstop enjoying second base, and it’s no shock to me that he swept the superior defensive metrics right here. I really spent some time reviewing his protection on video. That wasn’t as a result of I severely thought of anybody else for the highest spot; it’s simply that satisfying to look at him play. Hoerner’s solely actual weak spot is a below-average throwing arm, however he hides it extremely effectively. He’s nice going to his proper, usually a troublesome play for second basemen with middling arm energy, however his vary and footwork imply that he’s throwing from a lot better positions than his counterparts, so that you nearly by no means discover it.
Some years, Hoerner performs his ordinary mix of elite protection and will get outdone by his should-be-shortstop counterpart in Toronto. This 12 months, nonetheless, Giménez missed a ton of time and in addition crammed in at quick for the injured Bo Bichette. On a price foundation, I feel he was the very best second base defender within the majors once more in 2025, however Hoerner performed 600 extra innings. That was sufficient for me to finish up leaning Hoerner’s means. These two guys and Brice Turang, who would have been sixth on my record in what was a down season for him within the area, are what true plus shortstops appear to be in a neater defensive task.
Edwards, who I gave critical consideration to for second place, has been a revelation since sliding over from quick. He has somewhat little bit of Hoerner to him; he appears like he has a powerful arm, however I feel it’s principally as a result of he’s wonderful with regards to getting his ft underneath him and throwing from a great base. Very often, I received the sense that Edwards was really overrunning balls as a result of he will get such a great first step, however that’s a great drawback to have. He’s one of many gamers I watched most on this train, and I got here away impressed. All three marquee defensive methods love him, and he appeared the half in my in depth viewing. If it weren’t for 41 video games of shortstop initially of the season limiting his time on the keystone, I’d have had him forward of Giménez.
Semien was his ordinary strong self, and even with a damaged foot inflicting him to overlook the final month of the season, he performed a ton of innings, vaulting him above the competitors right here. Chisholm was a desire decide; I feel there are 4 or 5 gamers with a great argument for fifth, however Jazz has been a extremely good second baseman for some time now, and he set a profession excessive for defensive innings there this 12 months. If I have been the Yankees, I’d exit of my means to ensure he can play second daily subsequent season as an alternative of moonlighting in middle (2024) or at third (2025). He appears superior throughout the board right here, and I feel he could possibly be even higher with extra constant enjoying time.
Shortstop
1. Bobby Witt Jr.
2. Nick Allen
3. Masyn Winn
4. Jeremy Peña
5. Mookie Betts
This was the toughest place of the train for me. Witt and Allen have been nearly deadlocked in my preliminary rankings, and each try and separate them solely made me much less certain of who had a greater 12 months. FRV thought Witt was the very best by a mile, whereas DRS thought he was merely okay. Each agreed that Allen was superb. DRP appreciated Allen extra however didn’t assume both have been among the many finest defenders, simply so as to add to the confusion. Witt’s sheer vary of instruments was my tiebreaker. He can do all the pieces you may think about. He has the very best vary of any shortstop, which is smart, as a result of he’s an elite short-burst athlete and in addition the quickest participant within the sport. He has a powerful throwing arm – not the strongest of the group, however solidly above common. Earlier in his profession, I assumed that his footwork usually put him into powerful conditions that his athleticism received him out of. Now all the pieces has come collectively. He appears to be getting higher yearly, too; I didn’t even have him in my high 10 final season, and now I’m mentally penciling him into the highest three for the following half decade.
I actually wished to vote for Allen, a longtime favourite of mine who I’ve all the time thought deserved extra main league enjoying time. He confirmed why this 12 months, taking an open competitors for shortstop in Atlanta and working with it. He’s not notably quick. He doesn’t throw notably onerous. His super first step and absurdly certain fingers make up for these shortcomings in an enormous means, although. Allen could be the smoothest shortstop within the majors. The interior clock that tells defenders how a lot time they’ve? Allen’s is phenomenal. Should you watch him area, he’s by no means in a rush and but all the time on time. He’s essentially sound at each flip, whether or not it’s physique positioning for double play turns or simply pulling down a ball that will have in any other case gone for additional bases. I’m undecided it’ll be sufficient to land him a long-term beginning spot — in spite of everything, he did bat .221/.284/.251 this 12 months — however we lastly received a full-ish season of Allen on protection, and it didn’t disappoint.
Winn received this award final 12 months, and I feel his 2025 was about pretty much as good of a season. I had him fourth in 2024, and I feel he in all probability received’t win this time round. This award tends to hew a bit extra intently to DRS than to different metrics, which is smart contemplating it’s run by Sports activities Data Options, and Winn’s DRS declined by so much this 12 months. In the meantime, his FRV went within the precise wrong way. For me, that means that Winn might be about the identical participant as final 12 months, when he was extremely good, so I’m placing him in roughly the identical spot. His cannon arm is probably the most visually pleasing device any of those guys have; watching a few of his throws from deep within the gap beat quick runners won’t ever get previous.
That leaves Peña and Betts. Peña graded effectively throughout the board, similar to he has for years, and at this level, I’m very assured saying that he’s a wonderful shortstop defender, extra assured than I used to be in any identify behind him on the record. I count on Betts to complete increased than I voted for him right here – DRS likes him much more than FRV and DRP, and gamers like that are inclined to outstrip my estimation of them – however that doesn’t imply I feel he’s dangerous. Certainly, I feel that he was among the finest 5 defensive shortstops in baseball this 12 months, which is downright phenomenal for an outfielder who took up the place at 31. The person is a famous person.
Third Base
1. Ke’Bryan Hayes
2. Maikel Garcia
3. Ryan McMahon
4. Matt Chapman
5. José Ramírez
In 2021, Kevin Goldstein and I positioned Hayes sixteenth on our Commerce Worth rankings. Looking back, that was a mistake, however lower us some slack — it was the primary time we’d helmed that train. The pitch was “seemingly Gold Glove third baseman who has an opportunity to hit a ton,” and whereas the “hit a ton” half hasn’t materialized, defensively, Hayes has been the very best participant within the majors on the scorching nook, head and shoulders above the remaining. He’s 30 runs away from the closest competitor in DRS over the previous 5 years, and 27 runs clear in line with FRV. He’s that far forward of the sector regardless of a 700-inning deficit in enjoying time due to accidents; in different phrases, he’s a lot better than everybody else on a price foundation. This 12 months, he set a profession excessive for defensive innings, and whereas he nonetheless can’t hit a lick, oh my god, it’s essential to watch him play protection. He’s notably nice on these down-the-line smashes that many third basemen wrestle with; his footwork and fingers are so good that he appears like he’s enjoying a special sport.
Hayes wasn’t a little question no. 1 for me, as a result of Garcia had an awesome 12 months too. I’ll put it this fashion: I feel Garcia might be one of many 10 finest defensive shortstops on the planet, and the one cause he isn’t difficult for {hardware} there may be that he occurs to play on the identical staff as Witt. Meaning Garcia has to play third, and man does he look good there. The headlining device is his throwing arm, and he has the basic third base spotlight reel down pat; massive off-balance throws, do-or-die barehands, double performs that you may’t imagine had sufficient time to develop. Don’t bunt on Garcia, in different phrases; a lot of his finest performs have come on the cost, although he’s succesful throughout the board. The largest factor holding him again could be that he trusts his arm somewhat an excessive amount of; he had a couple of extra throwing errors than you’d wish to see, however you may stay with these in alternate for all the additional outs Garcia hoovers up.
I’ll maintain my evaluation of the final three names transient, as a result of that is solely half of my votes and this text is getting lengthy. McMahon, Chapman, and Ramírez are all clearly wonderful defenders who had strong years in 2025. Chapman was beneath his historic commonplace, in all probability attributable to an harm that price him a month, however he nonetheless performed among the finest protection within the majors when he was obtainable. His 100% is true there with Hayes’; it is a fairly good down 12 months. McMahon is a gradual performer however not on the transcendent stage of the highest two guys. Ramírez is a marvel, simply the identical metronomically wonderful all-around sport 12 months after 12 months. He’s one the place the methods disagreed fairly a bit, however his combination rating put him in an enormous, seven-player tier behind the highest guys, and I really feel assured that he’s a great defender due to a protracted accumulation of proof. One fast shout out right here: Ernie Clement solely performed 603 innings at third, however his protection was aggressive with Garcia’s on a price foundation. Keep in mind that identify, as a result of tomorrow, I’ll undergo the remainder of my votes: outfield, multi-positional defender, defensive participant of the 12 months, and defensive staff of the 12 months.