BY MARK SIMON

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I had the idea to do a Playoffs Defenders To Watch and that dovetails perfectly with 10 players having at least 15 Defensive Runs Saved active this postseason. So let's put the spotlight on them.

Ernie Clement (Blue Jays IF, 23 Runs Saved) heads our list (probably much to your surprise). He’s the jack-of-all-trades, who saved 11 Runs at third base, 10 Runs at second base, 1 run at shortstop, and 1 run at first base. This was his second straight standout multi-positional season. He's not going to overwhelm you with great plays, but he is going to make a lot of good ones while keeping mistakes to a minimum.

Ceddanne Rafaela (Red Sox CF-2B, 22 Runs Saved) led all center fielders in both Runs Saved and Good Fielding Plays. Rafaela finished second at the position in Range Runs Saved and tied for first in Outfield Arm Runs Saved. He also had one of the best catches of the season (click to watch). And he did this despite having his time interrupted by moving to second base for a few weeks.

Steven Kwan (Guardians LF, 22 Runs Saved) didn't just lead left fielders in Runs Saved. He dominated the position, finishing 10 runs ahead of the next-closest player. Kwan actually didn't have the most Range Runs Saved, but he had an MLB-outfield-best 7 Outfield Arm Runs Saved and 10 assists without the help of a cutoff man. Watch him for how well he plays balls off the wall, part of his MLB outfield best 29 Good Fielding Plays this season.

Ke'Bryan Hayes (Reds 3B, 19 Runs Saved) has now led third basemen in Runs Saved in four of the last five seasons. This was his flashiestseason in that he had a career-high 21 Good Fielding Plays (as many as 2023 and 2024 combined).

We split Runs Saved into components and this was the first season in which Hayes had more Runs Saved for finishing plays than he did for range. Others throw harder but it's harder to be better than Hayes, who had 1 throwing error, no throwing misplays, and had only 1 throw that required his first baseman to make a Good Fielding Play.

Myles Straw (Blue Jays OF, 18 Runs Saved) gives the Blue Jays the equivalent of two center fielders in the outfield, even when he's playing left field. Straw accumulated most of his Runs Saved in center field (15 of them) before Daulton Varsho returned from shoulder surgery. In left field he's netted 4 Runs Saved in 40 games and has no errors or defensive misplays. He has phenomenal range and that will be put to good use this month.

Nico Hoerner (Cubs 2B, 17 Runs Saved) led the Cubs in Baseball-Reference's Wins Above Replacement and defense was a big part of that. He led the position in Runs Saved and excelled at defending balls hit up the middle. He has a strong chance to win his first Fielding Bible Award.

Mookie Betts (Dodgers SS, 17 Runs Saved) has turned himself into one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball. He tied for the lead at the position. The biggest thing Betts did was cut back on his mistakes. He had 19 Misplays & Errors in 65 games at shortstop in 2024 but had only 16 in 148 games there this season.

Pete Crow-Armstrong (Cubs CF, 16 Runs Saved) played his best defense prior to the All-Star Break, netting 13 of his 16 Runs Saved then. He tapered off as both a hitter and fielder in the latter part of the season but still finished second in Runs Saved at the position. At his best he can go back and get the ball as well as anyone.

Wilyer Abreu (Red Sox RF, 15 Runs Saved) was terrific in right field for the second straight season (he won a Fielding Bible Award last year) and actually had a higher Range Runs Saved total than he did last season despite playing fewer innings. He also co-led right fielders in Outfield Arm Runs Saved. Abreu was involved in two of the stranger plays of the season, a home run robbery that he didn't catch but knocked over to Ceddanne Rafaela, and a 9-3 assist to prevent a single.

Fernando Tatis Jr. (Padres RF, 15 Runs Saved) matched Abreu in Runs Saved (the only right fielder with more is Adolis Garcia). A big component of this was an MLB-best 4 home-run-robbing catches (and one play in which he prevented a home run but didn't make the catch). His 28 Good Fielding Plays led all right fielders.

Honorable mention: Harrison Bader (Phillies OF, 14 Runs Saved), Carlos Narváez (Red Sox C, 11 Runs Saved, most among playoff catchers), Max Fried (Yankees P, 10 Runs Saved, most of any pitcher).

Our NFL Draft website is live, free, and being updated daily with scouting reports, stats, and much more. It's a great place to learn about notable rookies in 2025.

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The FieldingBible.com website is a great resource for your defensive stat needs. 

For more of our work check out The SIS Baseball Podcast, which posts new episodes every two weeks during the baseball season.

Mark Simon interviews players and coaches about defensive excellence. He also regularly talks with media members about the latest baseball news.

Check out our latest episode in which Mark Simon and Ben Clemens review the biggest surprises of 2025.

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