25 Best Gloves in Baseball Right Now

What makes a good fielder?

Is it recognition? Awards? Fielding Percentage?

It's hard to pinpoint. The guys who make SportsCenter's top 10 plays. The highlight reel.

Good fielders come and go, but the great ones are always remembered.

Right now we are at a crossroads: A number of great fielders are close to retiring, while there are a few more just entering the defensive spotlight.

Here are the 25 best gloves in the game right now.

Torii Hunter

Although he's lost a few steps, Torii Hunter is still one of the best outfielders in baseball.

He has nine Gold Gloves and until he retires, he'll still be a dynamite fielder.

Ichiro Suzuki

Ichiro's had the best glove in the outfield since he came onto the scene in 2001. 

He won 10-straight Gold Gloves from 2001-2010, and despite a slip up last year, he's still a fantastic fielder.

Adrian Beltre

Beltre has been perennially underrated at the hot corner.

His offense has usually overshadowed his defense, though most recently, both are rising to the forefront. Adrian owns three Gold Gloves already and will soon be adding more to the pile.

Mark Teixeira

Tex has played on a number of teams in both leagues. He's always brought two things with him, his bat and his glove.

He has three Gold Gloves and has been deserving a number of others in years past.

Placido Polanco

Placido Polanco has three Gold Gloves, at two different positions.

Despite his age, Polanco has managed to win a pair of Gold Gloves at second and his first at third base this year.

Troy Tulowitzki

Tulo has quick feet, a slick glove and a strong arm.

He's finally coming into his own as a player on both offense and defense.

Brandon Phillips

Brandon Phillips has three of the past four NL Gold Gloves at the second-base position. He's an incredible talent with a glove that's tough to match.

Orlando Hudson

Despite the fact that Orlando Hudson can't seem to keep his job on a single team, he's still a very good second baseman.

He has four Gold Gloves, usually battling with Brandon Phillips for the same hardware.

Matt Kemp

Kemp is one the few five-tool players in baseball.

He has a killer arm, great speed and a handy glove.

Kemp has won two Gold Gloves, and he will probably add on to those in the future as well.

Adrian Gonzalez

Gonzo has three straight Gold Gloves, two in the NL and now one in the AL.

Dustin Pedroia

Pedroia has two Gold Gloves, and if we want to get real statistical, he had the second-best UZR in all of baseball in 2011.

Yadier Molina

Catching runs in the Molina family.

Yadier is the youngest and most active member of the catching club. Four straight Gold Gloves is nothing to smirk at.

Shane Victorino

Okay, so he didn't catch that one, but Shane Victorino is a ridiculously good fielder.

The "Flying Hawaiian" has flown his way to three Gold Gloves and should have some more on the horizon.  

Brett Gardner

Brett Gardner is one of the best fielders yet to win a Gold Glove.

Gardner's speed and glove work gave him the highest UZR in 2011. It shouldn't be too long before he has a few Gold Gloves on the shelves.

Carl Crawford

Crawford did not have a great year in 2011 with the bat.

His glove, however, was still very good.

He only has one Gold Glove, but it isn't for lack of effort.

Evan Longoria

Evan Longoria has a pair of Gold Gloves, and if it weren't for a few injuries, he would have more.

The hot corner is a difficult one to handle, but Longoria does it with aplomb.

Jacoby Ellsbury

Ellsbury had a season for the ages. Not only did he put up MVP-level offensive numbers, he also had the third-highest UZR of any player in the game.

Mark Buehrle

The Marlins knew they were getting a good pitcher when they signed Mark Buehrle, but they might have forgotten that they bought an incredible glove as well.

Buehrle has four straight Gold Gloves and should gain a few NL ones before long.

Michael Bourn

It's all about speed when it comes to Bourn; he can get anywhere on the field and and track down practically anything.

Those wheels have earned two Gold Gloves already.

Mark Ellis

He somehow still doesn't have a Gold Glove, despite having one of the best all-time fielding percentages for any second baseman, ever.

A switch to the NL might give Ellis a chance to finally snag one.

Carlos Gonzalez

"CarGo" has one Gold Glove and will have quite a few more before his career is over. He is the new breed of outfielder and will soon be the same echelon of Torii Hunter and Ichiro Suzuki.

Robinson Cano

By far the most talented member of the Yankee's double-play combo, Cano is getting a good deal of respect for his slick glove.

Once Jeter goes, he'll be even more revered.

Nate Schierholtz

Outside the Bay Area, Schierholtz's skills aren't really known.

But trust me, he's the real deal—he's got a ridiculous arm and covers the massive amount of ground in AT&T.

Once he gets a chance for national exposure, he'll get a Gold Glove.

Ivan Rodriguez

13 Gold Gloves. 13.

His arm is still a cannon, and nobody is going to challenge his dominance of the catching position anytime soon.

Mike Cameron

Cameron has three Gold Gloves.

He's played for eight different teams in dozens of different outfields and still manages to chase down most of the balls hit his way.

His arm isn't bad, either.