Greatest MLB Defensive Players of All Time

Baseball has had some amazing glove stories.

Greatest MLB Defensive Players of All Time

TTO has done more to hurt defense than Daniel Murphy ever could on his worst day. That’s short for Three True Outcomes, also known as walks, strikeouts and home runs.

In the 2019 season, 35 percent of all plate appearances ended in one of the three, a recent trend that meant even fewer balls in the field of play, which meant fewer chances for a highlight-reel play that could make the hairs on our arms stand at attention. For true seamheads, this was absolutely rotten news.

So before defense becomes extinct altogether and it's too late, let’s pay homage to the best glovemen at each position in baseball history. Remember, kids, head up and glove down.

Catcher: Johnny Bench

Career: 1967-83 (17 seasons)

Teams: Cincinnati Reds

dWAR: 19.7

Caught stealing percentage: .435

Gold Glove Awards: 10 (1968-77)

Note: All stats are through the 2019 MLB season. The criteria were a combination of Gold Glove Awards (since 1957) and metrics such as Defensive Wins Above Replacement (dWAR), Total Zone Runs (an estimate of runs saved in the field) and Range Factor per nine innings with an assist from YouTube on occasion.

Bottom Line: Johnny Bench

Johnny Bench and Campy Campaneris in 1972 World Series — Johnny Bench won two World Series with the Cincinnati Reds.

Does ex-teammate-turned-mortal enemy Pete Rose agree with us here? Don’t bet on it.

Yet it’s hard to deny Johnny Bench's combination of strength, athleticism, smarts and leadership behind the plate. Let’s also not forget how the "Little General" revolutionized the position with his hinged glove and one-handed technique.

The two-time Most Valuable Player was a natural, the first catcher to be awarded a Gold Glove in his rookie season.

Honorable Mention Catcher: Roy Campanella

Career: 1948-57 (10 seasons)

Teams: Brooklyn Dodgers

dWAR: 8.5

Caught stealing percentage: .574

Gold Glove Awards: None

Bottom Line: Roy Campanella

"Campy" had no weaknesses other than the assorted hurts that went with the position.

"The Cat" was nearly as quick as he was strong — no catcher had a higher caught stealing percentage in MLB history — and his ability to call games and handle pitchers was widely known.

If not for a tragic auto accident that ended his career prematurely, the three-time Most Valuable Player likely would have become the first black manager in the major leagues.

Honorable Mention Catcher: Ivan Rodriguez

Career: 1991-2011 (21 seasons)

Teams: Texas Rangers (1991-2002, 2009), Florida Marlins (2003), Detroit Tigers (2004-08), New York Yankees (2008), Houston Astros (2009), Washington (2010-11)

dWAR: 29.6

Caught stealing percentage: .457

Gold Glove Awards: 13 (1992-2001, 2004, 2006-07)

Bottom Line: Ivan Rodriguez

Known as "Pudge" because of his size and attitude, he’s the all-time leader in Gold Gloves and swag at the position.

The son of an amateur catcher could single-handedly shut down run games.

No player did so at a higher rate in the free-agent era.

First Base: Keith Hernandez

Career: 1974-90 (17 seasons)

Teams: St. Louis Cardinals (1974-83), New York Mets (1983-89), Cleveland Indians (1990)

dWAR: 1.3

Total Zone Runs at the position: 120

Gold Glove Awards: 11 (1978-88)

Bottom Line: Keith Hernandez

No first baseman won more Gold Gloves (11) in his career.

And none led the league in Total Zone Runs more times (eight).

He deserves to be in the Hall of Defense at the very least.

Honorable Mention First Base: Vic Power

Career: 1954-65 (12 seasons)

Teams: Philadelphia/Kansas City Athletics (1954-1958), Cleveland Indians (1958-61) Minnesota Twins (1962-64), Los Angeles-California Angels (1964), Philadelphia Phillies (1964-65)

dWAR: -0.8

Total Zone Runs at the position: 62

Gold Glove Awards: 7 (1960-66)

Bottom Line: Vic Power

Vic Power and Ted Williams — Vic Power (No. 7) made only 97 errors in 1,655 games.

The Puerto Rican flash was ahead of his time, what with his sweeping glove motions and one-handed technique, which were no-no’s in his day.

Truth is, few ever played the field with more flair and confidence. He could have won two more Gold Gloves if they had been awarded, in which case he would rank second in American League history.

Honorable Mention First Base: Bill White

Career: 1956-69 (13 seasons)

Teams: New York/San Francisco Giants (1956, 1958), St. Louis Cardinals (1959-1965, 1969), Philadelphia Phillies (1966-68)

dWAR: -3.8

Total Zone Runs at the position: 55

Gold Glove Awards: 7 (1960-66)

Bottom line: His dWar number is skewed by misspent time in center field. Only Keith Hernandez won more Gold Gloves among National Leaguers at his best position.

And Bill White almost certainly would have one more (1956) if the award had been in existence.

He was the league leader in Total Zone Runs five times.

Bottom Line: Bill White

Bottom line: His dWar number is skewed by misspent time in center field. Only Keith Hernandez won more Gold Gloves among National Leaguers at his best position.

And Bill White almost certainly would have one more (1956) if the award had been in existence.

He was the league leader in Total Zone Runs five times.

Second Base: Bill Mazeroski

Career: 1956-1972 (17 seasons)

Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates

dWAR: 24.0

Total Zone Runs at the position: 148

Gold Glove Awards: 8 (1958, 1960-61, 1963-67)

Bottom Line: Bill Mazeroski

Some call him the Babe Ruth of defense. No argument here. "The Glove" is the MLB career leader in Total Zone Runs and double plays at the position — and it would take a search party to find the next in line.

Indeed, he turned the double play into an art form, sort of like a Mikhail Baryshnikovski in cleats.

Now here’s the stat that you never hear: Over 12 seasons, Maz played 1,722 complete games (86 percent), the kind of durability (overuse?) that almost certainly lessened his performance.

Honorable Mention Second Base: Bobby Knoop

Career: 1964-72 (nine seasons)

Teams: Los Angeles-California Angeles (1964-69), Chicago White Sox (69–70) Kansas City Royals (1971-72)

dWAR: 10.0

Total Zone Runs at the position: 66

Gold Glove Awards: 3 (1966-68)

Bottom Line: Bobby Knoop

Bobby Knoop and Bill Mazeroski are the only second basemen to lead the league in Total Zone Runs, Range Factor per nine innings and double plays turned as many as four times each.

And he pulled it off in only eight seasons as a regular. A career .630 OPS dwarfed his excellence in the field.

Honorable Mention Second Base: Frank White

Career: 1973-90 (18 seasons)

Teams: Kansas City Royals

dWAR: 21.9

Total Zone Runs at the position: 126

Gold Glove Awards: 8 (1977-82, 1986-87)

Bottom Line: Frank White

Bottom line: Roberto Alomar and his record 10 Gold Gloves originally were in this spot, but this Royals lifer got the final nod because of his impressive career metrics.

"Smooth" ranks second in TZR and 11th in Range Factor per nine innings at the position.

Frank White also is 10th in double plays turned.

Third Base: Brooks Robinson

Career: 1955-77 (23 seasons)

Teams: Baltimore Orioles

dWAR: 39.1

Total Zone Runs at the position: 293

Gold Glove Awards: 16 (1960-75)

Bottom Line: Brooks Robinson

A few had better range. Some had stronger arms. But nobody was a more complete package than this gold standard at the hot corner.

Brooks Robinson's 16 Gold Gloves are the most for a non-pitcher in MLB history.

He’s also the all-time leader in Total Zone Runs from here to Funkstown.

Honorable Mention Third Base: Buddy Bell

Career: 1972-89 (18 seasons)

Teams: Cleveland Indians (1972-78), Texas Rangers (1979-85, 1989), Cincinnati Reds (1985-88), Houston Astros (1988)

dWAR: 23.8

Total Zone Runs at the position: 167

Gold Glove Awards: 6 (1979-84)

Bottom Line: Buddy Bell

Buddy Bell and Terry Pendleton — Buddy Bell had a career. 965 fielding percentage.

Bottom line: This guy never played a postseason game, so unlike Brooks Robinson in the 1970 World Series, Buddy Bell never had a chance to showcase his skills in front of a national audience.

Now guess who’s second to Robinson in career Total Zone Runs at the position.

Bell also ranks fifth in Range Factor per nine innings (3.18) overall.

Honorable Mention Third Base: Mike Schmidt

Career: 1972-89 (18 seasons)

Teams: Philadelphia Phillies

dWAR: 18.4

Total Zone Runs at the position: 129

Gold Glove Awards: 10 (1976-84, 1986)

Bottom Line: Mike Schmidt

Anyone who believes this guy was one-dimensional doesn’t know Michael Jack Schmidt.

Mike Schmidt is the only third baseman among the top 10 in Gold Gloves (second), Range Factor per nine innings (seventh) and Total Zone Runs (ninth).

Plus, we like to write Michael Jack, OK?

Shortstop: Ozzie Smith

Career: 1978-96 (19 seasons)

Teams: San Diego Padres (1978-81), St. Louis Cardinals (1982-96)

dWAR: 44.2

Total Zone Runs at the position: 239

Gold Glove Awards: 13 (1980-92)

Bottom Line: Ozzie Smith

"The Wizard" is the all-time leader in dWAR.

He's also on the short list of Total Zone Runs (fourth), Range Factor per nine innings (fifth) and jaws dropped (many) in major league history.

Any questions, kiddos?

Honorable Mention Shortstop: Luis Aparicio

Career: 1956-73 (18 seasons)

Teams: Chicago White Sox (1956-1965, 1969-1973), Baltimore Orioles (1966-68)

dWAR: 31.8

Total Zone Runs at the position: 149

Gold Glove Awards: 9 (1958-62, 1964, 1966, 1968, 1970)

Bottom Line: Luis Aparicio

When "Little Louie" led the new wave of Hispanic players in the bigs, the position went from 33 1/3 to 78 rpm in terms of athleticism and entertainment value.

He ranks third in Gold Gloves and fourth in Total Zone Runs among shortstops.

He’s also No. 6 in dWAR at any position.

Honorable Mention Shortstop: Mark Belanger

Career: 1965-82 (18 seasons)

Teams: Baltimore Orioles (1965-81), Los Angeles Dodgers (1982)

dWAR: 39.5

Total Zone Runs at the position: 238

Gold Glove Awards: 8 (1969, 1973-78)

Bottom Line: Mark Belanger

How great does a career .228 hitter have to be to play regularly for 10 seasons?

Try this great: second in career Defensive WAR, third in Total Zone Runs and third in Range Factor per nine innings on the all-time list.

That's Mark Belanger, folks.

Left Field: Barry Bonds

Career: 1986-2007 (22 seasons)

Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates (1986-92), San Francisco Giants (1993-2007)

dWAR: 7.6

Total Zone Runs at the position: 184

Gold Glove Awards: 8 (1990-94, 1996-98)

Bottom Line: Barry Bonds

He’s the all-time leader. No, not in home runs, Sluggo, but Total Zone Runs among left fielders.

Forgot how much ground he covered in his pre-roids days, didn’t you?

Barry Bonds also had a plus arm. As opposed to the puss arm who couldn’t throw out Sid Bream with the 1992 NLCS on the line.

Honorable Mention Left Field: Alex Gordon

Career: 2007-present (13 seasons)

Teams: Kansas City Royals

dWAR: 8.6

Total Zone Runs at the position: 114

Gold Glove Awards: 7 (2011-14, 2017-19)

Bottom Line: Alex Gordon

The best left fielder of the millennium ranks behind only Barry Bonds and Carl Yastrzemski on the career Total Zone Runs list.

At 35, Alex Gordon is a good bet to rank second when all is said and done.

Honorable Mention Left Field: Carl Yastrzemski

Career: 1962-84 (23 seasons)

Teams: Boston Red Sox

dWAR: 1.0

Total Zone Runs at the position: 135

Gold Glove Awards: 7 (1963, 1965, 1967-69, 1971, 1977)

Bottom Line: Carl Yastrzemski

Yaz had better range than many center fielders and a stronger arm than some right fielders.

He also played the Green Monster at Fenway Pahk like it was his rec room wall. No one did it so well for so long.

Center Field: Willie Mays

Career: 1951-52, 1954-73 (22 seasons)

Teams: New York/San Francisco Giants (1951-52, 1954-1972), New York Mets (1972-73)

dWAR: 18.2

Total Zone Runs at the position: 176

Gold Glove Awards: 12 (1957-68)

Bottom Line: Willie Mays

All you need to know about his defensive prowess can be seen on one epic play in the 1954 World Series opener.

Some have better metrics at the position, but none come close to Willie Mays' combination of athleticism, arm strength, instincts, entertainment value and ... nickname. "The Say Hey Kid."

Really, how cool is that?

Honorable Mention Center Field: Paul Blair

Career: 1964-80 (17 seasons)

Teams: Baltimore Orioles (1964-76), New York Yankees (1977-80), Cincinnati Reds (1979).

dWAR: 18.8

Total Zone Runs at the position: 171

Gold Glove Awards: 8 (1967, 1969-75)

Bottom Line: Paul Blair

"Motormouth" played so shallow in the field, he could almost shake hands with the second-base umpire. That’s how confident the former prep school track-basketball star was in his speed, quickness and ups.

Paul Blair's home run thievery in the final game of the 1966 World Series sweep was one of the greatest plays ever in postseason play, but because it came in the pre-YouTube days, it was never recognized as such.

This guy made it look way too easy.

Honorable Mention Center Field: Andruw Jones

Career: 1996-2012 (17 seasons)

Teams: Atlanta Braves (1996-2007), Los Angeles Dodgers (2008), Texas Rangers (2009), Chicago White Sox (2010), New York Yankees (2011-12)

dWAR: 24.4

Total Zone Runs at position: 230

Gold Glove Awards: 10 (1998-2007)

Bottom Line: Andruw Jones

Want a crazy stat? OK, we’ve got your crazy right here.

"The Curacao Kid" ranks second in Total Zone Runs (253) in baseball history. Not only as an outfielder, mind you, but at any position. That’s right — more than Ozzie Smith even.

The best center fielder since Willie Mays combined great instincts, a quick first step and precise routes to the ball.

Right Field: Roberto Clemente

Career: 1955-72 (18 seasons)

Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates

dWAR: 12.2

Total Zone Runs at the position: 204

Gold Glove Awards: 12 (1961-72)

Bottom Line: Roberto Clemente

"The Great One" would be the first player who we would pay to watch play defense. See, the career leader in Total Zone Runs at the position had a certain mystique about him, an unmatched flair and grace and passion that set him apart from the rest.

His 254 assists are the most by an outfielder in the live ball era, which is nutso when you consider that, once word got around, a runner would almost rather have a lobotomy than risk embarrassment by his legendary arm.

Honorable Mention Right Field: Jesse Barfield

Career: 1981-92 (12 seasons)

Teams: Toronto Blue Jays (1981-89), New York Yankees (1989-92)

dWAR: 12.2

Total Zone Runs at the position: 149

Gold Glove Awards: 2 (1986-87)

Bottom Line: Jesse Barfield

The best outfielder of the 1980s decade combined excellent range and a bazooka arm that rivaled the best ever (read: Roberto Clemente).

Jesse Barfield ranks 16th in Total Zone Runs at any position. If not for a relatively short shelf life, he might have more than one All-Star Game and two Gold Gloves on his resume.

Honorable Mention Right Field: Al Kaline

Career: 1953-74 (22 seasons)

Teams: Detroit Tigers

dWAR: 2.8

Total Zone Runs at the position: 154

Gold Glove Awards: 10 (1957-59, 1961-67)

Bottom Line: Al Kaline

His arm strength was a half-cut below Roberto Clemente and Rocky Colavito in his day, but it was plenty strong and accurate enough. Dude, the underappreciated superstar once gunned down a baserunner in three consecutive innings.

Because range was a valuable commodity at spacious Tiger Stadium, Al Kaline spent nearly 20 percent of his time in center field.

Utility Man: Rey Sanchez

Career: 1991-2005 (15 seasons)

Teams: Chicago Cubs (1991-97), New York Yankees (1997, 2005), San Francisco Giants (1998), Kansas City Royals (1999-2001), Atlanta Braves (2001), Boston Red Sox (2002), New York Mets (2003), Seattle Mariners (2003), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2004).

Positions: Shortstop, second base, third base

dWAR: 20.8

Total Zone Runs: 138

Gold Glove Awards: None

Bottom Line: Rey Sanchez

This guy didn’t hit enough to play regularly (career .642 OPS), but some team always wanted Rey Sanchez.

Would you believe that he’s the only shortstop among the top 10 in Range Factor per nine innings (sixth) and Total Zone Runs (seventh) in baseball history?

He played nearly 1,500 games in the field with nine different teams.

Honorable Mention Utility Man: Gil McDougald

Career: 1951-60 (10 seasons)

Teams: New York Yankees

Positions: Second base, third base, shortstop

dWAR: 14.0

Total Zone Runs: 70

Gold Glove Awards: None

Bottom Line: Gil McDougald

He was the ultimate glue guy, a personal favorite of manager Casey Stengel for good reason.

Gil McDougald's fielding percentage and Range Factor per nine innings exceeded the league average at each of three positions.

He also ranks among the top 100 in career Total Zone Runs at second base (28th), shortstop (99th) and all positions (100th).

Honorable Mention Utility Man: Ben Zobrist

Career: 2006-19 (14 seasons)

Teams: Tampa Bay Rays (2006-14), Oakland Athletics (2015), Kansas City Royals (2015), Chicago Cubs (2016-19)

Positions: Second base, shortstop, outfield

dWAR: 7.3

Total Zone Runs:

Gold Glove Awards: None

Bottom Line: Ben Zobrist

In the 2017 season, this valuable moveable piece was among the Total Zone Runs leaders at second base and left field. Ben Zobrist also spent time at shortstop and right field in his career.

As even the Cubbies discovered, you can win a World Series with a guy like this.

Pitcher: Greg Maddux

Career: 1986-2008 (23 seasons)

Teams: Chicago Cubs (1986-1990, 2004-06), Atlanta Braves (1993-2003), Los Angeles Dodgers (2006, 2008), San Diego Padres (2007-08)

Caught stealing percentage: .237

Gold Glove Awards: 18 (1990-2002, 2004-08)

Bottom Line: Greg Maddux

"Mad Dog" dominated the Gold Glove Award for not one but two decades.

Even if only half of the 18 were based on merit — he ranked first in Total Zone Runs 13 times and fielding percentage three times — the result would be difficult to ignore.

Now about those base stealers.

Honorable Mention Pitcher: Mark Buehrle

Career: 2000-15 (16 seasons)

Teams: Chicago White Sox (2000-11), Miami Marlins (2012), Toronto Blue Jays (2013-15)

Caught stealing percentage: .579

Gold Glove Awards: 4 (2009-12)

Bottom line: On Opening Day in 2010, the southpaw made a kick save on a shot up the middle, quickly ran down the ball in foul territory then executed a no-look, between-the-legs, glove-handed flip to first base for the out, the most insane, off-the-charts play by a pitcher in the history of history.

By the way, he ranked among the top five in assists in 15 consecutive seasons, five of them as the league leader, and his pickoff move was just plain filthy.

Bottom Line: Mark Buehrle

On Opening Day in 2010, the southpaw made a kick save on a shot up the middle, quickly ran down the ball in foul territory then executed a no-look, between-the-legs, glove-handed flip to first base for the out, the most insane, off-the-charts play by a pitcher in the history of history.

By the way, he ranked among the top five in assists in 15 consecutive seasons, five of them as the league leader, and his pickoff move was just plain filthy.

Honorable Mention Pitcher: Zack Greinke

Career: 2004-present (16 seasons)

Teams: Kansas City Royals (2004-10), Milwaukee Brewers (2011-12), Los Angeles Angels (2012), Los Angeles Dodgers (2013-15), Arizona Diamondbacks (2016-19), Houston Astros (2019-present)

Caught stealing percentage: .497

Gold Glove Awards: 6 (2014-19)

Bottom Line: Zack Greinke

Is there a more fundamentally correct baseball player out there? Don't think so.

Zack Greinke is the modern Greg Maddux, only with less range, surer hands (one error per 319 innings pitched) and a superior pickoff move.

He's won six straight Gold Glove Awards, and no active pitcher has more assists (418) in his career.