Just Baseball’s 2025 All-Defensive Team

Winner: Patrick Bailey, San Francisco Giants

30 FRV, 25 Framing Runs, 1.86s Pop Time, 19 DRS, .994 Fielding %, 2024 Gold Glove Winner

Patrick Bailey has, without a doubt, been the most consistently well-above-average defensive catcher in the game for quite some time, being the reigning Gold Glove award-winning catcher in the National League.

Bailey led all catchers in Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and Framing Runs and ranked among the very best in virtually every defensive statistic.

He actually led all of MLB in Fielding Run Value (FRV), making him one of the most elite fielders in the entire league, let alone at the catcher position.

His Baseball Savant page shows an incredible amount of red bubbles that mark elite rankings in framing, pop time, and throwing metrics. He has +5 Blocks Above Average, tying him for 10th-best in MLB this season, so he’s very well-rounded behind the plate.

His 1.86-second pop time is tied for the highest mark in MLB this season with JT Realmuto of the Phillies and Endy Rodríguez of the Pirates. Bailey’s +8 Caught Stealing Above Average is the third-best mark in MLB this season and when coupled with his innate ability to frame and block pitches in the dirt makes him a shoo-in for Just Baseball’s All-Defensive Team for 2025.

Runner-Up: Alejandro Kirk, Toronto Blue Jays

22 FRV, 16 Framing Runs, 1.95s Pop Time, 9 DRS, .991 Fielding %

First Base

Winner: Matt Olson, Atlanta Braves

8 FRV, 9 OAA, 17 DRS, .996 Fielding %, 2x Gold Glove Winner (2018-19)

Matt Olson led all first basemen in crucial defensive metrics like Fielding Run Value (FRV) while also playing the most innings at the position this season, being one of only two players (Pete Alonso) with over 1,400 innings at first base in 2025.

He ranked second in OAA behind Ty France (10 OAA) and he was tied with France in what Statcast defines as a fielder’s range with a mark of 7.

Olson has taken home two Gold Glove Awards in his decade-long MLB career and could well be on his way to a third trophy, and his 9 OAA and 17 DRS are the highest marks he’s ever posted in MLB. He’s been a large part of the Atlanta Braves’ 45 DRS as a team, which ranks them as the fifth-best team in MLB this season.

It’s safe to say that he’s deserving of being Just Baseball’s first baseman for the 2025 All-Defensive Team.

Runner-Up: Carlos Santana, Cleveland Guardians/Chicago Cubs

6 FRV, 8 OAA, 12 DRS, .997 Fielding %, 2024 Gold Glove Winner

Second Base

Winner: Nico Hoerner, Chicago Cubs

13 FRV, 15 OAA, 17 DRS, .993 Fielding %, 2023 Gold Glove Winner

Nico Hoerner has been a defensive stalwart for the Chicago Cubs, who are playing in their first postseason series since the 2020 season. The Cubs were the league’s second-best team by DRS with 83, only behind the Blue Jays’ mark of 91, and Hoerner’s been a large reason why that mark is so high.

Hoerner led all second basemen in FRV (12) and has 2 FRV in 33 innings at shortstop when the Cubs needed him to fill in for Dansby Swanson. He’s also played the second-most innings at second base behind Ozzie Albies of the Atlanta Braves, and his 17 DRS blows all other second basemen out of the water.

His 14 OAA at the position is also far and away the best mark, so this position on Just Baseball’s All-Defensive Team has been as good as Hoerner’s for quite some time now.

Runner-Up: Xavier Edwards, Miami Marlins

7 FRV, 9 OAA, 12 DRS, .989 Fielding %

Third Base

Winner: Ke’Bryan Hayes, Cincinnati Reds

17 FRV, 22 OAA, 19 DRS, .987 Fielding %, 2023 Gold Glove Winner

Ke’Bryan Hayes has long-been one of the slickest fielders in all of baseball, and he’s been one of the best to play the hot corner in recent memory.

When Hayes won his first Gold Glove Award in 2023, he snapped Nolan Arenado’s 10-year stretch of taking home the award, almost signifying a passing of the torch for best defensive third baseman.

While Hayes may have his shortcoming offensively, there’s absolutely no doubt that he’s one of the best defenders in all of baseball and he deserves to be honoured for his talents on the field. His 17 FRV ranked in the 98th percentile of all players and his outlandish 21 OAA are in the 99th percentile.

2025 marks the fourth time that Hayes has tallied at least 10 FRV and 10 OAA, and both of his marks this season are the highest that he’s put up in his six-year MLB career. It’s no surprise to anyone who’s watched Ke’Bryan Hayes play third base that he’s Just Baseball’s choice to man the hot corner for our 2025 All-Defensive Team.

Runner-Up: Maikel Garcia, Kansas City Royals

14 FRV, 18 OAA, 13 DRS, .980 Fielding %

Shortstop

Winner: Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals

20 FRV, 25 OAA, 3 DRS, .983 Fielding %, 2024 Gold Glove Winner

Bobby Witt Jr. is one of the league’s slickest fielders and he’s one of the game’s premier five-tool players. His 20 FRV were fifth-best in all of MLB and his 25 OAA led the league as his inhuman speed makes him a prime candidate to make any play that comes remotely his way.

His 100th-percentile sprint speed (30.2 ft/s) gives him the league’s second-best range as defined by Statcast. Witt has posted at least 10 FRV and at least 13 OAA in each of the last three seasons, making him one of the most consistently-dominant fielders in the game.

Witt might just be the best shortstop in all of MLB, and his nomination to Just Baseball’s All-Defensive Team only shines light onto one of his many tools that he puts to good use on the diamond.

Bobby Witt Jr. is a generational talent with a rare combination of fielding, speed, and all-around hitting that deserves to be acknowledged while we have the honor of watching him.

Runner-Up: Masyn Winn, St. Louis Cardinals

17 FRV, 21 OAA, 2 DRS, .994 Fielding %

Left Field

Winner: Steven Kwan, Cleveland Guardians

12 FRV, 5 OAA, 22 DRS, .976 Fielding %, 3x Gold Glove Winner (2022-24)

Steven Kwan has taken the league by storm with his combination of elite contact ability at the plate and an unwavering glove in the field.

You might not expect it from his 5’8″, 170-pound frame, but Kwan has one of the best arms in MLB. His +7 Arm Value is the best in MLB and he’s the only player with at least a +6 Arm Value this season.

Kwan was the only qualified left fielder this year to have a FRV above 0…and he had 11. His 22 DRS well-over doubles second place, and the Fielding Bible’s metric for outfield arms runs saved above average ranked him in first place with a mark of 7 rARM.

He’s won three consecutive Gold Glove Awards and looks primed to take home his fourth such award in his fourth big-league season. He’s no stranger to being elected to teams involving the league’s best fielders, so it’s pretty clear why he’s a part of Just Baseball’s All-Defensive Team for 2025.

Runner-Up: Wyatt Langford, Texas Rangers

5 FRV, 5 OAA, 12 DRS, .990 Fielding %

Center Field

Winner: Ceddanne Rafaela, Boston Red Sox

22 FRV, 22 OAA, 20 DRS, .985 Fielding %

Ceddanne Rafaela has truly shown himself to be one of the premier outfielders in MLB this season. Similarly to Ke’Bryan Hayes, Rafaela is a defense-first player whose bat may not be his strongest tool. His sprint speed ranks in the 92nd-percentile (29.1 f/s) and this contributes greatly to his ability to track down hits in the vast confines of Fenway Park.

According to Baseball Savant’s Park Factor metrics, Fenway Park observed the most doubles in MLB this season with 22% more doubles hit than in the average ballpark. With a ballpark featuring the likes of a very deep right-center gap and the Green Monster in left and left-center field, the Red Sox need a very versatile center fielder to even the playing field.

His 93.4 mph arm strength ranks in the 97th-percentile of MLB fielders and it’s the 14th-strongest across MLB outfielders this season. He’s definitely at home on Just Baseball’s All-Defensive Team and he’ll likely be manning the center field position on this roster for years to come.

Runner-Up: Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs

21 FRV, 21 OAA, 15 DRS, .995 Fielding %

Right Field

Winner: Wilyer Abreu, Boston Red Sox

9 FRV, 9 OAA, 15 DRS, .978 Fielding %

Wilyer Abreu, much like his teammate Ceddanne Rafaela, has been tasked with manning a very difficult Fenway Park outfield and he’s done a terrific job at doing so. Unlike Rafaela, however, Abreu’s value comes more from his arm than from his ability to track down baseballs in the gap.

Abreu’s average arm strength of 94.2 mph ranked in the 97th percentile league wide, and he’s FanGraphs’ most valuable rightfielder by Def (Defensive Runs Above Average) with a mark of 5.9. His 9 OAA rank him in the top 5% of fielders and his defense has been paramount to the Red Sox’ success in 2025.

His Statcast Range metric of 8 was tied with Corbin Carroll of the Arizona Diamondbacks for the most among right fielders, but Abreu’s arm was much more valuable than that of Carroll’s. Abreu is the second player from the Red Sox’ outfielder to make Just Baseball’s All-Defensive Team this season and the 2025 campaign has been a strong breakout season for Abreu, one of MLB’s best defenders.

Runner-Up: Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres

10 FRV, 8 OAA, 15 DRS, .992 Fielding %, 2023 Gold Glove and Platinum Glove Winner