If there was any doubt that Matt Chapman and Matt Olson are the best defenders at their respective positions, we can now put that to rest. The 2018 Fielding Bible awards were announced on Monday, and the two Oakland A’s infielders each won by substantial margins.
The Fielding Bible is like the Gold Glove award, but for defense. Sure, the Gold Gloves are ostensibly about defense, but they have a reputation for putting too much stock in overall name power (often magnified by offensive production). That’s partly because they’re voted on by managers and coaches who only see some of the eligible players six times over the course of six months.