Athletics' Chapman named Wilson Defensive Player of the Year
Oakland Athletics third baseman Matt Chapman added to his growing list of awards on Wednesday when he was named Wilson Defensive Player of the Year.
Chapman was far and away the best defensive player in baseball during the 2018 season. His 29 defensive runs saved led all players regardless of position, while his 13.1 defensive WAR was tops among third basemen, ranking sixth overall.
Ladies and gentlemen, your Wilson Defensive Player of the Year @mattchap6.#RootedInOakland pic.twitter.com/PJ9u6LyvV0
— Oakland Athletics 🌳🐘⚾️ (@Athletics) November 7, 2018
The 25-year-old is the first Athletics player and first third baseman to be named Wilson Defensive Player of the Year. He's also only the third infielder to win the honor in the award's history after it was established in 2012.
Unlike the Gold Glove awards, which are decided in part by the votes of managers and coaches across baseball, a statistical formula is used to select the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award winners:
- 25% Defensive WAR
- 25% Defensive Runs Saved
- 20% Inside Edge Fielding Ratings
- 20% Inside Edge Arm Ratings
- 10% Fielding Percentage
Pitchers and catchers have their own distinct formulas.
Chapman was also one of nine players named to Wilson's all-defensive team. Here are the 2018 Wilson Defensive Players of the Year at each position:
| Pos. | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| C | Mike Zunino | Seattle Mariners |
| 1B | Freddie Freeman | Atlanta Braves |
| 2B | DJ LeMahieu | Colorado Rockies |
| 3B | Matt Chapman | Oakland Athletics |
| SS | Andrelton Simmons | Los Angeles Angels |
| LF | Alex Gordon | Kansas City Royals |
| CF | Kevin Kiermaier | Tampa Bay Rays |
| RF | Mookie Betts | Boston Red Sox |
| P | Zack Greinke | Arizona Diamondbacks |
Kiermaier, who only played in 88 games due to injuries, and Zunino were the only Wilson winners who did not also earn Gold Gloves this year.
The Arizona Diamondbacks were named Wilson's Defensive Team of the Year. Diamondbacks defenders combined for 157 defensive runs saved in 2018, an MLB single-season record since the statistic was first tracked in 2003.
Arizona is the first franchise to win two Defensive Team of the Year awards after previously taking home the honor in 2015.