Best Of The Beasts Defense

This oft-overlooked area was a huge factor in the Rays' leap to prominence in 2008. Though the statistically inclined have made a significant effort in recent years to come up with metrics able to quantify the defensive performance of players and teams, no one system has emerged as the standard. Because of that, judgment of defensive effectiveness remains perhaps the most subjective facet of the game.

At the least, some of the best-regarded individual defenders in the game reside in the AL East. The division returns two 2008 Gold Glove winners in Carlos Pena of the Rays and Dustin Pedroia of the Red Sox, and the Rays' Carl Crawford was the Fielding Bible's choice as the top defensive left fielder in baseball last year. Two other players, Mark Teixeira and Evan Longoria, placed second at their positions in Fielding Bible voting last year, and Yankees backup catcher Jose Molina tied for second.

Which group would you like to have backing your pitching staff on a daily basis?

Rays

Defense: C Dioner Navarro, 1B Carlos Pena, 2B Akinori Iwamura, SS Jason Bartlett, 3B Evan Longoria, LF Carl Crawford, CF B.J. Upton, RF Gabe Kapler/Gabe Gross

Outlook: Manager Joe Maddon has challenged all of his players to reach Gold Glove heights defensively after Pena became the first Tampa Bay player to earn the honor last year, and those expectations aren't outrageous at most positions. Crawford and Longoria are top-notch and Upton covers plenty of ground and has one of the best arms around. Another year together should only help Iwamura and Bartlett improve after their impressive work shoring up the middle of the Rays' defense last year.

Red Sox

Defense: C Jason Varitek, 1B Kevin Youkilis, 2B Dustin Pedroia, SS Jed Lowrie, 3B Mike Lowell, LF Jason Bay, CF Jacoby Ellsbury, RF J.D. Drew

Outlook: The Red Sox feature a defense composed mostly of players who are considered above-average but not necessarily outstanding. Pedroia and Lowrie are extremely sure-handed in the middle of the field, and Lowell should be more effective this year after having his hip injury repaired. Bay doesn't have a ton of range, but he doesn't need to at Fenway Park.

Yankees

Defense: C Jorge Posada, 1B Mark Teixeira, 2B Robinson Cano, SS Derek Jeter, 3B Cody Ransom, LF Johnny Damon, CF Brett Gardner, RF Xavier Nady

Outlook: Adding Teixeira should definitely give the rest of the infielders a boost, as he is considered among the best in the game at his position, but the left side doesn't look very impressive at the moment. Ransom is holding Alex Rodriguez's place, and anyone who watched the World Baseball Classic got a preseason reminder that Jeter's best days at shortstop are far behind him at this point. Gardner should be fine defensively in center, and Nady is an upgrade over Bobby Abreu in right.

Compiled by Marc Lancaster