Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award explained

Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award
Sport:	Baseball
League:	Major League Baseball
Description:	Best defensive player at each position; best overall defensive player; best defensive team
Sponsor:	Wilson Sporting Goods
Presenter:	Major League Baseball
Year:	2012
Holder:	Roberto Pérez (overall) Houston Astros (team)

The Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award was awarded annually to the best defensive player at each fielding position in Major League Baseball (MLB). The award was given between 2012 and 2019. An overall Defensive Player of the Year and a Defensive Team of the Year were also selected annually. Unlike the Rawlings Gold Glove Awards, which are voted on by major league managers and coaches, the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award winners were determined by statistics using sabermetrics.

History

In 2012, baseball glove manufacturer Wilson created the Defensive Player of the Year Award to honor the best defensive player on each team in Major League Baseball (MLB). Additionally, one player was selected from each league as that league's overall Defensive Player of the Year. Starting in 2014, the individual awards are given to the best defensive player at each position, regardless of league, and there is a single Defensive Player of the Year for all of MLB. Since 2012, a single Defensive Team of the Year across all of MLB has also been named.^[1]

Various players have won a Defensive Player award multiple times, with Andrelton Simmons having the most wins, six. Zack Greinke is the only pitcher to have won multiple times, three. Denard Span was the first person to receive Defensive Player awards with two different teams, and in both leagues, having won in 2012 with the Minnesota Twins and in 2013 with the Washington Nationals. No one has been named Overall Defensive Player more than once, although the Atlanta Braves have had three winners and the Boston Red Sox have had two winners. The Arizona Diamondbacks are the only team to have been named Defensive Team of the Year multiple times, three.

Key

Year	Links to the corresponding Major League Baseball season
1B
2B
3B
SS
LF
CF
RF
C
P

Winners

During the first two years, the award was given to the best defensive player on each team in Major League Baseball. Starting in 2014, the award is given to the best fielder at each position in all of Major League Baseball. Numbers after a player's name indicate multiple times winning the award.

American League (2012–2013)

2012!Player!Team!Position

		SS
		2B
		2B
		C
		3B
		SS
		2B
		OF
		OF
		OF
		OF
		OF
		SS
		3B

National League (2012–2013)

2012!Player!Team!Position

		OF
		OF
		3B
		C
		1B
		2B
		2B
		OF
		OF
		OF
		C
		2B
		OF
		OF
		3B
		SS

2013!Player!Team!Position

		3B
(2)		2B
(2)		2B
		3B
		OF
		2B
		C
(2)		OF
(2)		OF
		2B
		OF
		3B
(2)		OF
		2B
		OF

2013!Player!Team!Position

		SS
		2B
		OF
(2)		C
(2)		OF
(2)		2B
		OF
(2)		OF
		C
(2)		C
		OF
		2B
		3B
		OF
		OF

Major League Baseball (2014–2019)

Year	1B	2B	3B	SS	LF	CF	RF	C	P	class=unsortable	Ref.
			(2)	(2)		(3)		(2)		^[2]
				(3)			(2)			^[3]
		(3)	(2)	(2)				(2)		^[4]
		(2)	(3)	(4)	(2)					^[5]
		(3)		(5)	(3)	(2)	(2)		(2)	^[6]
	(2)		(2)	(6)		(4)			(3)	^[7]

Overall Defensive Player of the Year

The Overall Defensive Player of the Year Award was inaugurated in 2012, with one player each from the American and National Leagues receiving the award. In 2014, the separate awards per league were eliminated, and in 2015 to 2019 only one player in all of Major League Baseball received the honor.

Year	League	Player	Team	Pos.	Ref.
2012 (AL)	American		Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim	OF	^[8]
2012 (NL)	National		Atlanta Braves	OF
2013 (AL)	American		Boston Red Sox	2B	^[9]
2013 (NL)	National		Arizona Diamondbacks	OF
2014	National		Atlanta Braves	RF
2015	National		Atlanta Braves	SS
2016	American		Boston Red Sox	RF
2017	American		Minnesota Twins	CF
2018	American		Oakland Athletics	3B
2019	American		Cleveland Indians	C

Defensive Team of the Year

Numbers after a team's name indicate multiple times winning the award.

Year	Team	League	Ref.
2012		National
2013		National
2014		National
2015	Arizona Diamondbacks (2)	National
2016		National
2017		National
2018	Arizona Diamondbacks (3)	National
2019		American

See also

• Fielding Bible Award
• Esurance MLB Awards  - includes Best Defensive Player

External links

• All-time winners at MLB.com

Notes and References

1. Web site: Wilson Defensive Player of The Year Award . November 5, 2014 . 2014 . Baseball Almanac.
2. News: Royals, Braves feature top Defensive Players . . November 5, 2014 . November 6, 2019.
3. News: What a catch: Top defenders unveiled . Miller . Doug . . November 11, 2015 . November 6, 2019.
4. News: Miller . Doug . Best Betts: Sox OF, Giants earn top defender honors . . November 11, 2016 . November 11, 2016.
5. Web site: Buxton, Dodgers are world's greatest glovers . John . Schlegel . . November 10, 2017 . November 6, 2019.
6. Web site: Winners of Wilson defensive honors unveiled . Chad . Thornburg . . November 7, 2018 . November 6, 2019.
7. Web site: Defensive Player of the Year Award winners . David . Adler . . November 6, 2019 . November 6, 2019.
8. News: Trout, Bourn, Braves top Wilson defensive awards . Adam . Berry . . November 5, 2012 . November 6, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121113030832/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20121105&content_id=40177856&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb . November 13, 2012 . Wayback Machine.
9. News: Dustin Pedroia, Gerardo Parra win 2013 Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Awards . . November 7, 2013 . November 6, 2019.