The 2017 season was filled with a plethora of highlights for the Los Angeles Dodgers on both sides of the ball. That was especially true in the infield, where the club displayed an unparalleled surplus of versatility, with many players capable of slotting in at multiple positions.
While the offense and pitching staff received most of the attention, the Dodgers separated themselves as one of the league’s best defensive teams. That was evident when the club was honored with Wilson’s Best Defensive Team Award for the 2017 season.
Here’s a look back at some memorable defensive moments from last year, via the Dodgers official Twitter account:
As 2017 comes to a close, let’s look back at some of the best performances from the season, starting with the infield. #Dodgers2017 pic.twitter.com/I6VsTBUFNz
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) 26 December 2017
Headlined by Corey Seager and Justin Turner, the Dodgers boasted one of the league’s most formidable left sides of the infield. In addition to their bats, a season’s worth of highlight reel-caliber plays attributed to the pair combining for 16 defensive runs saved.
From the right side of the infield, the Dodgers received contributions from the likes of Cody Bellinger, Logan Forsythe and Chase Utley. Each player accumulated a positive total of defensive runs saved, led by Forsythe’s mark of five as a second baseman.
For catchers, the Dodgers were fortunate enough to deploy two of the game’s best all-around backstops in Austin Barnes and Yasmani Grandal. Both players ranked among the top of the leaderboard in pitch framing and posted fielding percentages of .994 and .995, respectively.
Super utility players Kiké Hernandez and Chris Taylor, while mainly receiving reps in the outfield, also thrived when called upon for infield duty.