By Mark Simon

This is our 15th year naming MLB Defensive Players of the Month and we're happy to announce that this year's winners are Mariners second baseman Cole Young and Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.

For Young, in his second season in the majors, March and April were about establishing himself as an everyday player. He hit .211 with a .607 OPS and 1 Defensive Run Saved at second base in 77 MLB games in 2025, but it's been a much different story in 2026.

The 2022 first-round pick is hitting .286 with a .777 OPS thus far in 2026 and is the runaway leader in Defensive Runs Saved by a second baseman with 9. His 7 Good Fielding Plays were 2 shy of the MLB leader at the position, Nico Hoerner. 

Most Defensive Runs Saved By Second Baseman - 2026 Season

A diving play by Young in the first inning of the Mariners’ second game of the season foreshadowed what came the rest of the month. It was one of 5 diving plays made by Young, tied for the most by any second baseman this season. It was also the most valuable play Young made all month, 0.7 Runs Saved for Range and Throwing from a 12% out probability.

Young's most unusual play came in San Diego on a ball that hit pitcher Cooper Criswell's glove then took a hop off the second base bag. Young was able to leap, get the ball and make the play at first base. It partly atoned for a botched popup that Young was a part of an inning earlier.

Young earned a good chunk of his value on plays going to his right, like that one. He made 7 plays more than expected on balls hit to his right, the most above expectation for any second baseman this year. He also tied for the lead by making 5 more plays than expected on balls hit to his left.

This was Young's first time winning Defensive Player of the Month. For Crow-Armstrong, it's his third time winning after winning twice last season.

PCA led all players with 10 Runs Saved in March/April. He totaled 15 last season which was second-most among all center fielders. No other center fielder was even close to his March/April total in 2026. His 36 Runs Saved are the most of any center fielder since the start of the 2024 season.

Most Defensive Runs Saved - Center Fielders in 2026

This past Sunday Crow-Armstrong showed off the versatility with which he makes catches, with a leaping catch at the fence and then a diving snag against the Dodgers. His 5 sliding, diving, and jumping catches are one shy of Brenton Doyle for the lead among center fielders.

Crow-Armstrong's arm has been a deterrent to baserunners since he came up to the majors. Per MLB, the fastest 10% of his throws have averaged 92 MPH, which ranks 5th among center fielders. He has 1 assist without the aid of a relay man. 

Crow-Armstrong's start is similar to last year. He shared Defensive Player of the Month honors with Harrison Bader last April after leading the position in Runs Saved. Crow-Armstrong was denied a Fielding Bible Award last year after getting beaten out by DRS leader Ceddanne Rafaela.

So far this year it looks like he's playing at a level that would earn him his first such honor. But as he learned last year as a hitter and fielder, it's a long season and there's a long way to go.

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