AL Gold Glove Rankings: Adrian Gonzalez and Players to Beat at Each Position

When the Gold Gloves are announced every year, arguments tend to follow swiftly.

Defense is a hard thing to evaluate, and it's just plain difficult to determine who the best defender is at every position. All the newfangled defensive statistics we have nowadays only make things more complicated.

However, those stats do give us a pretty good idea of who the best defensive players in the league are, and now is as good a time as ever to take stock of all the numbers and see what they say about the top defensive players in baseball.

It's still really early in the 2012 season, but here are my top contenders for the Gold Glove awards in the American League.

Pitcher: Jason Hammel, Baltimore Orioles

It doesn't get much more difficult than figuring out which pitchers are the best at fielding their respective position. The fundamental problem is that pitchers just don't have to field their position all that often.

So far, though, Jason Hammel has been fielding his position very well. Per FanGraphs, he's tied with John Danks and Ricky Romero for the AL lead in defensive runs saved (DRS). He also has 11 assists and no errors, and has started one double play.

Hammel is also third in the AL with a 3.03 range factor (RF), according to ESPN.

Yes, he'll do for a Gold Glove pitcher. He probably won't get it, but he's a pretty darn good fielder in my book.

Honorable Mention: Justin Masterson

Catcher: Matt Wieters, Baltimore Orioles

Matt Wieters won his first Gold Glove last season, and he should win another this season.

Wieters is tied with J.P. Arencibia for the AL lead in DRS among catchers, per FanGraphs, and Wieters has an edge because he's caught a few more innings. He also gets the nod because he has a .444 caught-stealing percentage with eight runners gunned down on the season, according to ESPN.

Just as important is Wieters' catcher's ERA (cERA). It's 3.08, lowest among qualified AL catchers.

Behind the plate, no catcher in the American League can match what Wieters has brought to the table for the Orioles this season. He's establishing himself as the best all-around catcher in baseball.

Honorable Mention: Kurt Suzuki

First Base: Adrian Gonzalez, Boston Red Sox

A lot of people weren't happy when Adrian Gonzalez won the AL Gold Glove at first base over Mark Teixeira last year, but Gonzalez earned it. He had Teixeira beat in both UZR and DRS.

Not much has changed this season. Per FanGraphs, Gonzalez leads all AL first basemen with a 2.4 UZR and six defensive runs saved. According to ESPN, he also leads the AL in total chances with 321.

Teixeira is still very much in the hunt, though. He ranks just behind Gonzalez in UZR, and he actually has him beat in UZR/150.

It should be a good race all season long. For now, Gonzalez is winning it.

Honorable Mention: Mark Teixeira

Second Base: Alexi Casilla, Minnesota Twins

When it comes to who the best defensive second baseman in the American League is, most arguments are focused on Robinson Cano and Dustin Pedroia.

Cano is having a very good season in the field, but not quite as good as Alexi Casilla's. Casilla is tied for first among AL second basemen with seven defensive runs saved, and he has a 5.0 UZR, according to FanGraphs.

Yes, Cano does have a 5.5 UZR, and he has had to handle more plays and more innings than Casilla. The deciding factor for me is the disparity between the two players in UZR/150. Casilla's is 47.6, and Cano's is 31.7.

For the record, Pedroia's UZR is -3.0, lowest among qualified second basemen in the American League. He's had a tough go of things in the field this season, but his track record suggests he'll be in the race by the end of the year.

Honorable Mention: Robinson Cano

Third Base: Brett Lawrie, Toronto Blue Jays

Brett Lawrie has five errors this season. The only player in the AL with more at the hot corner is Evan Longoria.

So why is Lawrie the early favorite for the Gold Glove at third base?

Precisely because he has a huge lead in DRS among AL third basemen. According to FanGraphs, Lawrie's DRS is a staggering 14, which looks very nice next to his 5.0 UZR.

As for those errors, well, you have to do something right before you can make an error. Lawrie is doing a ton of things right this season, and the errors just happen to come with the territory.

Honorable Mention: Mike Moustakas

Shortstop: Brendan Ryan, Seattle Mariners

Full disclosure: There is no clear favorite for the Gold Glove at shortstop yet. The race is wide open.

Right now, Brendan Ryan has a slim lead. He hasn't logged as many innings at shortstop as some of the guys he's competing with, but he's among the league leaders at short with eight defensive runs saved, according to FanGraphs.

Ryan's 4.2 UZR is tops in the AL among shortstops, as is his 26.4 UZR/150.

Yunel Escobar is going to give Ryan a run for his money. Elvis Andrus will too.

Derek Jeter won't. He's at the bottom of the league in both DRS and UZR. If he wins another Gold Glove, baseball fans should revolt.

Honorable Mention: Yunel Escobar

Outfield: Alex Gordon, Kansas City Royals

Alex Gordon won his first Gold Glove in 2011, and that had a lot to do with his 20 outfield assists. He still has his third baseman's arm, it seems.

Gordon only has one assist so far this season, and you can chalk that up to the unwillingness of opponents to test him. He's not going to win another Gold Glove on the strength of his arm.

Thankfully, Gordon is still a very good fielder. He leads all AL left fielders in DRS and UZR, per FanGraphs. There's not a whole lot of competition from his fellow left fielders, but that has a lot to do with the fact that Brett Gardner is currently out of commission with an injury.

Gardner should have won a Gold Glove last year, so he's definitely a guy to keep an eye on in left field.

Honorable Mention: David Murphy

Outfield: Austin Jackson, Detroit Tigers

Last year, Jacoby Ellsbury had little trouble standing out among AL center fielders. He was an easy choice for his first Gold Glove.

Among center fielders, Austin Jackson has a slight edge so far this season. According to FanGraphs, he has the early lead in the AL in both UZR and UZR/150, and he has three defensive runs saved. Those numbers stack up pretty well against other outfielders too, not just center fielders.

Keep in mind that Ellsbury is out of the picture due to a shoulder injury. He'll be a threat to win a second consecutive Gold Glove once he regains his health.

Honorable Mention: Colby Rasmus

Outfield: Torii Hunter, Los Angeles Angels

Torii Hunter hasn't won a Gold Glove since 2009, but that should change this year.

Per FanGraphs, Hunter is tied for the lead among all AL outfielders in UZR at 6.2, and he has four defensive runs saved.

Ichiro is tied with Hunter in UZR, and he has him beat in DRS. However, Hunter's UZR/150 is a staggering 56.2, and he has one more outfield assist than Ichiro.

It's a close battle, but Hunter would get a Gold Glove if we were to dish them out today.

Honorable Mention: Ichiro Suzuki

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