Two Blue Jays Infielders Rank Among MLB's Best in a Key Defensive Metric

The Toronto Blue Jays have been hit or miss to start the 2025 season, but their infield defense has been locked down by two players so far.

May 4, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Andres Gimenez (0) throws to first to complete a double play against Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan (38) and right fielder Jhonkensy Noel (not pictured) during the seventh inning at Rogers Centre. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Toronto Blue Jays are in a somewhat odd position after the first few months of the 2025 season. They have remained right around .500 most, but are sitting in third place in the American League East.

This record is indicative of the true nature of the team at the moment. The Blue Jays have the talent to make many games competitive. But the biggest issue comes down to consistency and filling out the entire lineup.

One of the most reliable parts of the team has been its infield defense, specifically up the middle, where Toronto has found immense success so far. Having Daulton Varsho back in center field also helps the Blue Jays long-term. If they can continue to build off of high level fielding, they may find a strong identity for their roster.

Two specific infielders have been at the forefront of this success and rank among the best in the MLB at their respective positions. These two have been critical components to their success defensively, and could be just what the Blue Jays need to spark an identity shift.

Which two infielders have been among the MLB's best defensively?

The two infielders who have posted really strong defensive metrics through the first month of the season are utility infielder Ernie Clement and second baseman Andrés Giménez.

In a recent post by baseball statistics analyst Thomas Nestico, the top players at each position based on defensive runs saved this year were noted, and among them were these two Toronto infielders.

Both players have five DRS each, which ties them for ninth most in the MLB with a multitude of other players including Victor Scott and Wilyer Abreu.

Beyond just the one statistic, though, they have been outstanding in other metrics as well. When it comes to outs above average, both players rank among the 89th percentile or higher, with Clement having five total (98th percentile) and Giménez having two total (89th percentile).

Even more intriguing notes come when looking at arm strength for Giménez, as despite his strong showing statistically, he ranks only in the 41st percentile of arm strength, which while not extremely surprising when watching him, is an interesting contrast to his other defensive metrics.

Overall both players have been truly impressive this season in the field, and as things progress, it is good to know the team will have two stalwarts on the interior of the infield to clean up any miscues.