The Baseball Chronicle's Top American League Fielders 2009

Please view my Top Prospects 2009 1-200, posted earlier in November 2009.


The American League players to take home Gold Gloves this year were as follows:

C: Joe Mauer, Twins
1B: Mark Teixeira, Yankees
2B: Placido Polanco, Tigers
3B: Evan Longoria, Rays
SS: Derek Jeter, Yankees
OF: Torii Hunter, Angels
OF: Adam Jones, Orioles
OF: Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners
P: Mark Buehrle, White Sox

While many of the above players deserved their Gold Gloves, many earned them due to popularity, an exciting style of defensive play, and possibly as a measure to bring some light to their hapless small-market/struggling team, coming off of a dismal 2009 campaign where fans had little to be happy about. Below is a The Baseball Chronicle's list to of top defensive players in the American League. Each player is judged only upon their defensive prowess--not their popularity, career or value as a marketing tool for a lemon of a product.

Catcher: Gerald Laird, Detroit Tigers- In my opinion, Joe Mauer is the most complete and valuable player in both leagues, and his strong arm and game calling ability would put him atop the league in most years. But the fact is, Mauer barely caught 2/3 of the season, his CS% was down due to a bunch of soft tossers, and he allowed 9 passed balls. Laird in comparison, gave up 9 passed balls in 150 more innings of work, had a higher fielding percentage and thew out nearly 42% of runners attempting to steal.

First Base: Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees- Teixeira earned his Gold Glove and was an easy pick. Although he wasn't atop the league in UZR, his fielding percentage was untouchable, and his sparkling glove, stretch and turn-around ballet tag was visual poetry for Yankees fans watching the playoffs. Jeter, A-Rod and Cano all benefitted subtantially from Teixeira's glove; Jeter saw his errors lop in nearly in half from to just 8 in 2009, giving him the highest fielder percentage of any shortstop in the AL. A-Rod had his best fielding year since converting to third and Robinso Cano saw his non-chalant three-hopper qualify for an out far more often than it did during the Giambi administration.

Second Base: Placido Polanco, Detroit Tigers- Dustin Pedroia is the best fielding second baseman in the AL, but Placido Polanco simply outplayed him with the glove in 2009. Polanco led the AL in UZR, made a miniscule 2 errors in 1289.1 innings, exhibited range behind only Pedroia and Ian Kinsler, and was the best statistically the best at the double play.

Third Base: Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays- Longoria is simply the best defensive third baseman in the AL. The Angels' Chone Figgins was a close second due to his superior range, but Longoria is the most complete package-- with an A-Rod Arm, plus-range and the most reliable glove in the AL.

Shortstop: Elvis Andrus, Texas Rangers- Derek Jeter is my favorite player, and has been since I began watching baseball nearly a decade-and-a-half ago-- and his glove this year was one of the better ones in the MLB. But, Jeter's AL-leading UZR was a product of his unusually high fielding percentage, not a newfound range, arm or accuracy at 35 years old. Derek was solid, but Mark Teixeira really won two gold gloves in 2009--one for himself and one for Derek. Andrus had the best range in the American League, turned 20 more double plays in 5 less games, and showed flashes of Rey Ordonez with his footwork and arm deep in the hole. The one blemish on Andrus was his 22 errors, but with Chris Davis and Hank Blalock splitting time at first, even Ray Sanchez would've made a handful of additional errors.

Outfield: Franklin Gutierrez, Nelson Cruz, Carl Crawford- Tori Hunter once again took home an undeserved Gold Glove. Hunter's mediocre play in center is annually overlooked because of a few ESPN highlight reals in which he hops the wall and snatches a ball headed for the rocks. ACTA Sports featured an article on this very subject, and emphasized the fact that Tori Hunter is in the middle of the league in runs saved every season. The Mariners' Franklin Gutierrez was arguably the best outfielder in the MLB in 2009, featuring the highest UZR (29.1) of any player at any position in either league. While Tori Hunter is lauded for his homerun snatches, Gutierrez even outmatched Hunter in that area as well--stealing one more home run than Hunter by season's end. Gutierrez's package of range, arm and route-running are the best in the MLB, period.

Ichiro Suzuki added one more Gold Glove to his trophy case, and deservedly so. Suzuki still features a cannon, and base-runners rarely test it anymore, resulting in a large amount of runs-saved every season. Suzuki was third in the AL with 11.1 runs saved and third amoung AL right-fielders in UZR. However, Nelson Cruz played slghtly better than Ichiro in 2009, posting a better UZR, saving more runs with his arm, posting an equivalent fielding percentage and doing it in on a team sans Endy Chavez and Frank Gutierrez.

Carl Crawford doesn't have the arm that Nelson Cruz or Adam Jones has, but his range and improved route-running have boosted him up to third among AL-outfielders in UZR. Crawford's style of play is fun to watch, but his value of play is even greater. Crawford once again had run-saving range behind only Franky Gutierrez and Ryan Sweeney, and exhibited an accurate arm in left and center.

Ryan Sweeney is a guy that has been overlooked for his defense thus far in his career. Sweeney has proven to be a fairly complete package--albeit with little power-- mixing a .290ish batting average, doubles power and outfield defense that rated (statistically) second only to Gutierrez in the AL in 2009. Sweeney's arm is strong, and although his range isn't a match for Grady Sizemore, his routes to drifting and fading fly-balls are some of the best in the game.

Pitcher: Mark Buerhle, Chicago White Sox- Not only was Buerhle the most reliable pitcher with the glove in 2009, but he also managed to lead the American League in pickoffs with 8 (2 more than Andy Pettitte's 6). Buerhle's defense is valuable, and his pick-off move--a tick lesser than Pettitte's- keeps even the quickest of baserunners leaning towards first.

The Best Young Position Players

We've done the young guns, now we have to do the baby hammers. The best young hitters yet to play more than one full season are usually fairly obvious--you won't need me to tell you that Evan Longoria is a star for instance. There are quite a few guys that go unnoticed despite their use of the stick or glove, maybe because of their poor teams or some other flaw, either way they deserve recognition just as much as the next guy.

1. Evan Longoria, 3B, Tampa Bay Rays- This pick is more than obvious, it's painfully obvious. Longoria mashed all year and then through the playoffs nearly ending up with 40 homeruns by Thanksgiving. He's the new Mike Schmidt and the best thing since Cracker Jacks.
.300, 35hr, 110rbi, 110runs

2. Matt Wieters, C, Baltimore Orioles- Its hard to believe, but the Orioles finally did something right regarding a prospect. Their farm system has been coughing up what looks like...pitchers?...for quite some time, pitchers without a clue of what to do in the Majors. Wieters on the other hand, looks like Joe Mauer and hits like a young Ivan Rodriguez. He doesn't strike out, at all, he hits for really really high averages, .345 and .365 over the past two seasons and he has great power--hitting 15 homeruns in only a third of a season in 2007. The only thing that has kept Matt form being atop this list is the fact that he hasn't had a single Major League at bat. When he does, watch out AL, a few MVP seasons are coming his way.
.305, 15hr, 75rbi, 85 runs

3. Jay Bruce, OF, Cincinnatti Reds- Bruce is generally mentioned in the same breath as Evan Longoria. The young man in Cinci completely overshadowed Delmon Young a year later with the show he put on when he was called up. He made his first week a homerun derby, and then slumped, but again picked it up again at the end of the season. The taste we had last year tells us that he'll be popping .300 and 30 homeruns in no time. Matt Holliday deux.
.310, 30 hr, 95 rbi, 100 runs

4. Lars Anderson, 1B, Boston Redsox- The beast in the east is a tall lanky, funny looking individual with a sweet, long, swing. For a guy that has had an OPS regularly hovering around .950 in the minors, its comforting to see that he doesn't strike out that much. He gets the edge over Snider and LaPorta, because simply put, he's a more rounded hitter. He isn't a huge power guy, yet, but he makes great contact and has a line drive cut. When he adds some more bulk to his 6'4" frame he'll start sniffin 40 homers in the majors. Oh, and a .320 avg to go with it.
.285, 25 hr, 80 rbi, 75 runs

5. Chris Davis, 3B/1B, Texas Rangers- Davis strikes out a lot, not just a lot, A LOT a lot. He's no Mark Reynolds 200 k's, but he is what Scott Rolen should've been. His power could reach 40-45 homers in a full season, and his average wouldn't lag behind that badly. With more time he'll cut out on his strikeouts and add some more walks, but for now, hes a pretty damn good stick at the hot corner.
.280, 30 hr, 90 rbi, 80 runs

6. Jesus Montero, C, New York Yankees- The fact that Montero isn't even legally able to drink in the U.S. yet still makes this list says a lot about this guy's talent. He's been hyped as an A-ROD bat playing catcher--enough said. At age 18 he hit 17 homers in 526 at bats in single A, and was given an 80 (the maximum) for his power on the scouting scale. The fact that he can barely buy cigarettes but is hitting bombs into New Jersey suggests that he'll be a very special player when he hits his prime in a few years. 45-55 homeruns? It could happen.
.310, 20 hr, 80 rbi, 80 runs

7. Angel Salome, C, Milwaukee Brewers- Okay, okay, whats with all the catchers on this list? Its really not because I like catchers, and I do, its because there are just so many good hitting catchers ready to break in to the MLB. Salome is often overlooked by other top hitting catchers but his batting title and .362 batting average in AA in 2008 is hard to miss. The fact that he outbatted Matt Wieters, the top prospect in the game, tells a lot about Salome. He's a quiet guy, more stocky than short, and he plays a solid dish. The Brewers have Jason Kendall barely hanging on to the job, so Salome will make a push to take over catcher in 2009.
.320, 10 hr, 70 rbi, 70 runs

8. Joey Votto, 1B, Cincinnati Reds- Votto is a very good hitter. None of the statistical categories really stick out on his baseball card, but thats a good thing, it shows that J.V. is a very well-rounded player. He hit over .300 in his first MLB season and managed to belt 24 home runs. He'll never be a 40 home run guy, but .315 with 30 homers yearly, kind of a Justin Morneau for the NL, sounds about right.
.290, 25 hr, 100 rbi, 90 runs

9. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF, Boston Red Sox- Ellsbury really shouldn't be on this list, he's already played more than a full season with the Sox, but what the hell, he just barely missed the cut. Ellsbury is super fast--Jose Reyes fast. His bat stalled in 2008, but still shows the makings of a good contact hitter. He doesn't strike out, and he takes enough walks. If Ellsbury can find some more plate discipline theres no reason why he can't hit .300 and steal 60 bases annually. Probalbly the best part about the young player is his all around game--he really doesn't have a flaw. His arm may not be a cannon, but its a heck of a lot better than Johnny Damon. His power isn't godly, but 15-20 homeruns is very possible in his prime. He''ll be in the MVP voting by 2011.
.290, 12 hr, 60 sb, 75 rbi, 110 runs

10. Elijah Dukes, OF, Washington Nationals- Dukes has always had the tools to be a Vladamir Guerrero, the only thing that has stopped him from being one, and the only thing that got him thrown out of Tampa on a screaming Greyhound is his temper. The guy freaks out with the best of 'em, kind of like a Jack Nicholas meets Shaquille O'Neil type guy. If he can get a full season in, 30-30 is in reach. He has a cannon of an arm to go along with that bat by the way.
.270, 25 hr, 15 sb, 80 rbi, 70 runs

11. Matt, LaPorta, OF/DH, Cleveland Indians- LaPorta beats out the other top ten outfield prospect travis Snider with his more consistent play. The fact of the matter is, though, Snider and LaPorta are nearly the same player. They both hit for a ton of power, a decent average, can't field, and get on base at a decent clip. The Brewers were playoff crazy when they traded LaPorta to rent Sabathia for a half a season, and now they'll pay for it when another midwest team slots in a guy that could win ROY in 2009.
.260, 20 hr, 75 rbi, 70 runs

12. Travis Snider, OF/DH, Toronto Bluejays- What scares me is Snider's build. His frame isn't all that big, but he seems packed to the brim with bulk and muscle--traditionally this Brad Fullmer-Barry Bonds look means injury city. Still, Snider has power that nobody can argue against. 30-40 homers in his primse sounds about right, with Nick Markakis periferals.
.250, 20 hr, 75 rbi, 70 runs

13. Cameron Maybin, CF, Florida Marlins- Maybin has been waiting for the better part of the last two seasons for his shot at the show--he got that shot in 2009. He burst on to the scene with a roar and a .400 batting average over the last quarter of the season. The guy isn't superman, and he was overrated a bit too much, but .300, 20-30 is very attainable for Killa Cam.
.290, 15 hr, 30 sb, 65 rbi, 90 runs

14. Pablo Sandoval, 1B/3B/C- Sandoval wasn't a big name before 2008. That changed quickly by season's end after hitting .350 over two levels in the minors and another .350 in the majors. His bad is brilliant, and he can make contact with the best of them. The only issue with Sandy is his position--he really doesn't have one. Fantasy owners would love to see him playing catcher, but more than likely he'll end up playing in either corner of the infield--more likely first base than third.
.295, 15 hr, 70 rbi, 80 runs

15. Travis Buck, OF, Oakland Athletics- Other A's prospects generally get more hype than Buck did, but frankly, you can get more bang for your Buck with this guy (insert chuckle here). He hits for average, a lot of average, and has good but not great power. After his career at ASU, Buck was chosen in the first round by the Oakland A's, and since then has compiled a .326 batting average in the minor leagues throughout four seasons. His play in 2007 looked extremely promising, but then a concussion in 2008 halted his development. Still, in the fall of 2008 Buck really caught fire, and ended the season on a good note after a good September.
.285, 15 hr, 70 rbi, 75 runs

The Hot Corner- The Best First and Third Basemen

Usually respect is handed out to shortstops and second basemen for their ability to play the field and hit, but frankly its just as hard to catch a 110 mph line drive down the left field line as it is to pick a grounder at shortstop. The best at the position are a mix of offense, defense and leadership-some are obvious picks but many are unheralded.

1. Evan Longoria, 3B, Tampa Bay Rays- Longo's bat is already seen by fans as one fit for cleanup hitting with his ability to slug above .500 and hit for average. To pair with that bat, he can run the bases well, steal a few, and has a cannon for an arm. His range isn't too shabby either. Third is thinner and thinner every year, but luckily E-Long is there to keep the position hot.
Projected '09 Stats- .300, 35 hr, 100 rbi, 100 runs, 15 sb

2. Albert Pujols, 1B, St. Louis Cardinals- Despite his terrible name, Pujols is an intimidating force. Even though he's the best hitter at any position, he falls victim to his position's relative defensive ease. Anyway, Pujols' defense is one of the best at his position, and despite the small loss of his power of late, his contact ability is one of the best ever. The only real aspect of his game that makes him a second place guy is that he's reached his potential already and is a very old 29 years old. The guy won't strike out more than 60 times despite hitting .360 annually, and if St. Louis can get its pitching and bullpen to not look like such a mess then A.P. will bring them another title.
Projected '09 Stats- .345, 30 hr, 110 rbi, 100 runs, 5 sb

3. Mart Texeira, 1B- Texeira outplays Ryan Howard and Prince Fielder with his potential, his attitude and his defense. The guy can flat out play. You wanna see a guy save a dunker heading into right field? Snag a line drive up the right field line or pick a Chone Figgins' special? Texeira is your man. Better yet his potential surely hasn't been reached yet. He'll hit about .300 with 30-35 homers yearly while playing most, if not all the games he is asked to play. At age 28 though, he looks like he's poised for a monster season with the Yankees-- just look at his attempt at ridiculousness with the Angels in '08.
Projected '09 Stats: .290, 40, 100 rbi, 100 runs, GG

4. Alex Rodriguez, 3B, Yankees- A-Rod has really come in to his own playing third. His natural position is still SS, and no doubt he would've been a few defensive ticks up from Jeter at short. You won't find a better arm in either league and his range has gotten above average after his ability to snag balls in the hole has developed adequately. Obviously his bat is the best in the league if not ever. The only thing holding A-Rod back is his poor leadership, his choking in the playoffs and that thing with that old whore, Madonna. Also the Mickey Mouse gloves.
Projected '09 Stats: .300, 45 hr, 120 rbi, 100 runs, 20 sb

5. Prince Fielder, 1B, Milwaukee Brewers-Prince is an ideal player. He's big, he's durable, he hits for power and he plays stellar defense. What has kept him from the absolute top of his position is his projections- he looks old for a guy turning just 25 and his numbers are already declining. Although durable, its hard to sustain bat speed with a gut the size of his. Either way, Prince's zone rating and range factor are among the best of first basemen, and his home run rate is clearly at the top of the NL.
Projected '09 Stats: .280, 30 hr, 100 rbi, 80 runs

6. David Wright, 3B, New York Mets- David Wright has taken over the comparisons to Mike Schmidt now that Scott Rolen has shown that he'll probably never really pan out to the hall of famer projections that surrounded him after winning Rookie of the Year. Personally, I think Wright is better. His defense, although lacks when he has too much time is stellar. His range is unmatchable and far better than Ryan Zimmerman's. Wright's game is an all-around one- his stats look computer generated and perfect. He can hit 30 homers, steal 20-30 bases, hit above .300, nag 100 rbi's and score 100 runs. Wright hasn't shown the ability to carry the floundering Mets when it counts most though, but hopefully Omar won't trade the team's rock for yet another latino.
Projected '09 Stats: .315, 25 hr, 100 rbi, 110 runs, 15 sb, GG

7. Ryan Howard, 1B, Philadelphia Phillies- A world champion, Howard is the premier hitter at his position. Unlike fielder he looks like he'll last for a few more years now with that more-square frame. Howard's defense is guddawful, and that's really the only aspect of his game that keeps him from being number one on this list. If it wasn't for his ability to hit like two all star first basmen then the Phillies would've grown tired of his pathetic range and ridiculously bad throwing ability. Lucky for Howard, Chase Utley can play first and second simultaneously with his range.
Projected '09 Stats: .275, 45 hr, 13o rbi, 100 runs

8. Kevin Youkilis, 1b/3B, Boston Red Sox- Yook was the true MVP of the Red Sox in 2008. The "Greek God of Walks" is a walk machine with a very good glove, developing power and good contact hitting skills. He'll never be a 40 home run guy, and will never be a guy that will look that comfortable at third, but his errorless first base defense and his knowledge of the game will keep him in the top 5 first basemen for years to come. Of course, it doesn't hurt that he plays for one of the best offenses in the game and has Dustin Pedroia hitting in front of him.
Projected '09 Stats: .300, 25 hr, 100 rbi, 100 runs, 90 bb

9. Lance Berkman, 1B/OF, Houston Astros- Every year Berkman is in the MVP voting and every year he's forgotten by most fans. Whats the deal? He hits .300, he hits 30 bombs and he walks 100 times annually. Maybe its his face? I dunno. The Astros are damn lucky to have held on to him this long, and Berkman is damn unlucky that he didn't have the chance at playing for a contender. He'd be higher, but at 33, his best years are coming to a close.
Projected '09 Stats: .300, 30 hr, 100 rbi, 100 runs, 100 bb, 10 sb


10. Miguel Cabrera, 1B- The fat fat fat man has finally been permanently move to first base. Miguel told ESPN the Magazine that his favorite food is "rice and beans." Cut out the carbs Miguel, they're killing your game! Despite Miguel's inability to cover any ground at his position he's still young and still a fairly complete hitter. He'll belt 30 easily and it sure isn't his fault that the Tigers looked more like the Lions in '08.
Projected '09 Stats: .285, 35, 90 rbi, 90 runs

11. Aramis Ramirez, 3B, Chicago Cubs- Like Berkman, Ramirez is yet another unsung corner infielder. Ramirez is still only 30 years old but he's already 249 homers in to his career, about four seasons more than Jeter-homer-pace. He'll probably never hit 40 homeruns again now that the 'roids era is finally coming to an end, but .290 with a palatable amount of walks and good numbers seems about right.
Projected '09 Stats: .290, 28 hr, 95 rbi, 90 runs, 60 bb

12. Alex Gordon, 3B, Kansas City Royals- Before Gordon was called up in 2006 he was regarded as the next Mike Schmidt. Despite his not living up to that lofty expectation he has shown brilliance on occasion. His defense has the makings of the absolute best in the game and his hitting, when hot, looks as if he must be wielding one of those cave'man clubs instead of a bat. 16 Homers is too low for a player of his caliber, and now that The Royals look like a Major League team, Gordon will probably hit between 25 and 30 this year. A Gold Glove is in his future.
Projected '09 Stats: .290, 25 hr, 90 rbi, 90 runs, 10 sb

13. Ryan Zimmerman, 3B, Washington Nationals- Zimmerman is a hard guy to understand. He was a sensation in 2006 and looked like the Natties' Captain, but lately he's looked fat and discouraged. If he can get in shape and do what he did in the second half of 2008 for an entire year then he'll get the Nationals back to .500. Kind of a wild card, Zimmerman is by no means Evan Longoria, but if he can get his weight going in the direction and learn to make better contact, 30 home runs looks very possible.
Projected '09 Stats: .285, 30 hr, 85 rbi, 90 runs

14. Joey Votto 1b, Cincinatti Reds- Joey suprised many with how quickly he started hitting in his rookie year. The kid can flat out hit, and looks like he could win a batting title some day. No doubt his defense needs some more polish, but his power bat doesn't. He's young and its a no brainer that he'll hit .300 in '09 if he's completely healthy. The Great American Ballpark makes things easier on Votto as well- it shouled be renamed The Great American Hitter's Ballpark.
Projected '09 Stats: .305, 25 hr, 90 rbi, 90 runs, 10 sb

15. Carlos Pena, 1B, Tampa Bay Rays- People forget that Pena is young, at age 30, for a guy that floundered in AAAA for what seemed like an eternity. His contact hitting leaves something to be desired, but the Yankees and Red Sox somehow missed the show he can put on in batting practice after they cut him in consecutive Springs between '06 and '07. Probably the most underrated defender in the game, Pena can do more than just wield that bat. It's hard to not forget that he's injury prone and goes through streaks where he'll bat below the Mendoza line- that's the only reason he's ranked behind Zimm and Votto.
Projected '09 Stats: .250, 35 hr, 100 rbi, 80 runs, 90 bb