One of the areas in which the Tampa Bay Rays excelled in the 2025 MLB regular season was defensively. They got the job done around the diamond, with their total of +42 Defensive Runs Saved being sixth best in the league.
Only the Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays and Atlanta Braves had higher marks. Where the Rays were most productive was at shortstop, where their +19 DRS was the best in the Major Leagues.
Second base for the Blue Jays (+22), third base for the Pittsburgh Pirates (+27), left field for the Cleveland Guardians (+22), center field for Toronto (+24) and right field for the Boston Red Sox (+24) were the only positionals higher than what Tampa Bay produced at shortstop. The Blue Jays were also +19 at catcher.
Providing an overwhelming amount of that production at shortstop for the Rays was Taylor Walls. He had a DRS of +17, which was tied for the eighth-highest mark in all of baseball in 2025.
It should come as no surprise that he was named one of the Gold Glove finalists at the position in the American League. Joining him were Corey Seager of the Rangers and Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals.
Taylor Walls predicted to lose Gold Glove Award to Bobby Witt Jr.