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Who are the Defensive All-Stars?
Posted by John Dewan on Dec 16th 2015
July 15, 2009
Or, who are the leading contenders for this year's Fielding Bible Awards? We use the defensive statistic that we developed in The Fielding Bible—Volume II called Runs Saved. Runs Saved is based on a compilation of nine different methods to analyze defense including the Plus/Minus System. Here are the leaders at the All-Star break:
| Position | Name | Team | Runs Saved |
| P | Brad Bergesen | Orioles | 6 |
| C | Russell Martin | Dodgers | 5 |
| 1B | Travis Ishikawa | Giants | 9 |
| 2B | Aaron Hill | Blue Jays | 16 |
| Ian Kinsler | Rangers | 16 | |
| 3B | Adrian Beltre | Mariners | 13 |
| Ryan Zimmerman | Nationals | 13 | |
| SS | Marco Scutaro | Blue Jays | 18 |
| LF | Matt Holliday | Athletics | 14 |
| CF | Franklin Gutierrez | Mariners | 14 |
| RF | Nelson Cruz | Rangers | 11 |
Reigning Fielding Bible Award winners Adrian Beltre and Franklin Gutierrez continued their stellar defense in 2009 as both were selected as Defensive All-Stars by leading their position in defensive Runs Saved at this year's All-Star break. Gutierrez won the Fielding Bible Award for right field in 2008 and has made a seamless transition to center field in 2009, including two runs saved robbing home runs. Beltre, a two-time Fielding Bible Award winner, shares the honor at third base with the Nationals’ Ryan Zimmerman, as each have saved 13 runs.
Across the diamond, Travis Ishikawa is flashing good leather and boasts nine runs saved along with a plus/minus score of +11 through the midway point of the season. Aaron Hill and Ian Kinsler are having strong 2009 seasons defensively with 16 Runs Saved apiece. Since 2006, when he cost his team 20 runs defensively at shortstop, Marco Scutaro has improved steadily with one run saved and eight runs saved in part-time play in 2007 and 2008, respectively. This year, his 18 runs saved at the All-Star break is the highest total for a shortstop.
Joining Gutierrez in the outfield are Matt Holliday and home run derby runner-up Nelson Cruz. Like Gutierrez, Holliday has also saved two runs robbing home runs, and Holliday is seven runs better than his 2008 total thus far. After seeing time in left, center, and right the past several years, Cruz has settled nicely into right field for the Texas Rangers.
The battery for the Defensive All-Stars consists of the Dodgers’ Russell Martin and the Orioles' Brad Bergesen. Bergesen’s six runs saved are two more than seven different pitchers, including Johan Santana and Mark Buehrle. Bergesen has not allowed a stolen base (all three runners attempting to steal have been thrown out) plus he has been superb fielding his position. Martin’s five runs saved lead all catchers. Four of those runs are attributed to his handling of the pitching staff, with the remaining run saved credited to his control of the running game. Martin is back to his 2007 form, when he saved nine runs during the season for the Dodgers after his mediocre year in 2008 with -3 Runs Saved.