Defense wins championships. Well maybe not in baseball. Still, as the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays, the 2009 Seattle Mariners, and the 2010 San Diego Padres have shown us, a good defense goes a long way in today’s game.
Defense is the unappreciated side of the game. You don’t see players winning MVP awards for their defensive play. Fielding wizards like Carl Crawford often fly under the radar, their offensive game attracting much more attention than their rare defensive skills.
Still, once a year all eyes are on the fielders. Every November managers and coaches in each league honor one player at each position as the top defender in his league.
Which American League players deserve to take home the hardware? Well…