By Mark Simon

It was around this time last year that we tried to rank the top 10 defensive players in baseball, a response to seeing a segment on MLB Network that did the same.

As I said at the time, I'm not a huge fan of doing this because it's difficult to compare a second baseman, right fielder and catcher within the same statistical plane (it's a challenge we face annually now when we vote on the SIS Defensive Player of the Year).

But hey, the people seem to like it, MLB (Mike Petriello) just did it again, and with Framber Valdez signed, we're not expecting much more big transactional news. It serves as a nice setup to spring training, so let's do it.

The elite

1. Ke'Bryan Hayes

2. Daulton Varsho

3. Patrick Bailey

4. Steven Kwan

5. Andrés Giménez

Last year I listed three players as 'elite.' This year I'm going five-deep. I think it's deserving. Ke'Bryan Hayes jumped from No. 3 last year to No. 1 entering 2026 after easily leading third basemen with 19 Defensive Runs Saved in 2025. Since 2021 he's totaled 91 Runs Saved at third base. Ryan McMahon ranks second with 60.

That's what I mean by elite.

Daulton Varsho dropped one spot to second and that's mainly because I couldn't justify someone who played only 68 games in the field last season ranking No. 1. But I don't mind his being No. 2. Varsho's 43 Runs Saved in center field since the start of 2023 are the most at the position despite his ranking 25th in innings played. He's this generation's Kevin Kiermaier.

Patrick Bailey was our Defensive Player of the Year last year, so I could have ranked him No. 1. But I felt like this list wasn't meant to be a one-year analysis. Regardless, he's the best defensive catcher in the game by a lot. He leads catchers with 52 Runs Saved since the start of 2023. Alejandro Kirk ranks second with 39.

If you want to talk about positional mastery, you should start with our No. 4, Steven Kwan, who I bumped up three slots from last year after he led left fielders in Runs Saved for the third time in four years. Kwan crushed it last season, with good range numbers and dominant outfield throwing arm stats (10 assists without a cutoff man, matching his 2023 and 2024 combined total).

Injuries slowed down Andrés Giménez last season but similar to Varsho, he's too good to pass up. He's a second baseman with shortstop skills (who sometimes plays shortstop). His 51 Runs Saved at second base in the last three seasons easily leads MLB. Brice Turang is second with 41.

Next Tier

6. Matt Olson

7. Ceddanne Rafaela

8. Pete Crow-Armstrong

These three players could all be in the top 5. You can give me a hard time for ranking center fielders below first basemen and left fielders I suppose. Go ahead. It won't bother me.

The iron man, Matt Olson, is the most consistent defensive player in baseball. In each of the last eight seasons he's ranked in the top three in Runs Saved at first base. He's led the position in each of the last two years and had a career-high 17 in 2025.

Ceddanne Rafaela led center fielders in Runs Saved last season. Pete Crow-Armstrong ranked second. Both can catch it and both can throw it, and I don't think there's much difference between the two. PCA may get a little more of the credit because of just how good his plays look. But Rafaela actually had more of the Good Fielding Plays we track (27 to 23) in 200 fewer innings, so maybe you need to be paying closer attention to his highlight reel.

Many Guys For 2 Spots

9. Ernie Clement

10. Wilyer Abreu

Last year I was working off a list of 29 players for 10 spots. This year's list was a little narrower.

I wanted utility player representation because versatility is so important in baseball right now. And there's no better utility player than Ernie Clement, who won our Fielding Bible Award for multi-position play last season. Clement tallied 11 Runs Saved at third base and 10 Runs Saved at second base and did it with a glove he bought on eBay. That's impressive.

I had a pretty good list for the last spot and in the end, I went with Wilyer Abreu, who has tallied 17 Runs Saved and 15 Runs Saved in right field for the Red Sox the last two seasons. He leads the position in Runs Saved in that time.

If I had an 11th spot, I probably would have picked Nico Hoerner, so with that, let's acknowledge the honorable mentions.

Honorable mentions: Nick Allen, Mookie Betts, Matt Chapman, Denzel Clarke, Nico Hoerner, Brice Turang, Victor Scott, Myles Straw, Fernando Tatis Jr., Taylor Walls, Jacob Young

What would your Top 10 list be? Share it with me at [email protected].

Mark Simon’s Top Defensive Players in MLB

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