Introduction to the 2017 Best Nine Awards
The 2017 Best Nine awards recognize the top player at each position across Major League Baseball’s American and National Leagues, as selected by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA). Established to highlight elite excellence at every defensive spot, the honors reflect a blend of statistical impact, consistency, and intangible contributions. This evergreen explanation outlines how the voting works, which players won in 2017, and why the awards remain meaningful for careers, Hall of Fame perception, and public understanding of positional value.
How the Best Nine Awards Are Selected
BBWAA members voting before the end of each regular season determine the winners. Voters select one player per position in both leagues, emphasizing performance, leadership, and durability at the position. The process prioritizes positional mastery within a full season rather than peak moments alone. This method aligns the Best Nine with long-term evaluation standards used by writers, front offices, and Hall of Fame electors.
2017 Award Winners by Position
Below is a concise overview of the 2017 Best Nine selections, showing the player, team, and primary positional role at the time of award. These choices highlight a mix of perennial stars and players having career years, illustrating how the award captures both stability and breakout impact.
| Position | American League | National League | Key Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catcher | Salvador Pérez (KC) | Yadier Molina (STL) | Consistent offensive production and game-calling leadership |
| First Base | Carlos Santana (CLE) | Paul Goldschmidt (ARI) | Power, on-base skills, and defensive reliability at first |
| Second Base | Jose Altuve (HOU) | Dustin Pedroia (BOS) | Contact, speed, and high-value at-bats despite injury challenges |
| Third Base | Mike Moustakas (KC) | Manny Machado (BAL) | Elite defense plus rising offensive power |
| Shortstop | Francisco Lindor (CLE) | Trea Turner (WSH) | Defensive range, arm strength, and offensive growth |
| Left Field | Adam Jones (BAL) | Andrew McCutchen (PIT) | Center-field caliber defense and timely hitting |
| Center Field | Mike Trout (LAA) | Giancarlo Stanton (MIA) | Two-way impact: Trout’s all-around play, Stanton’s power |
| Right Field | Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was not yet in MLB; Justin Upton (TOR) | Ronald Acuña Jr. was not yet in MLB; Marcell Ozuna (ATL) | Power and defense in right field; context reflects 2017 season reality |
| Designated Hitter | David Ortiz (BOS) | No DH in NL | Ortiz’s legendary career capper in a season of sustained clutch power |
Positional Breakdown and Why It Matters
Catcher and Infield Recognition
At catcher, the 2017 award underscored how defense and game-calling remain undervalued in traditional statistics. First and second base highlighted the shift toward power and contact balance, while shortstop selections emphasized range and arm strength that can reshape entire innings. These choices signal to teams that defensive metrics and intangibles should complement batting stats when evaluating positional excellence.
Outfield and Designated Hitter Impact
The outfield awards reflect players who can patrol multiple zones and deliver in crucial moments. Center field, in particular, often serves as a benchmark for overall athleticism and baseball IQ. The DH selection spot captures the unique value of hitters who extend careers and change lineups without defensive constraints, recognizing the strategic role modern teams assign to specialized hitters.
Best Nine in Historical and Hall of Fame Context
Although the Best Nine is a single-season honor, selections often align with later career accolades, including All-Century Team discussions and Hall of Fame trajectories. Voters tend to reward consistency over brief peaks, so a Best Nine nod can foreshadow sustained excellence. That makes the 2017 choices relevant for long-term evaluation, helping fans and analysts frame a player’s legacy beyond any individual year.
Common Misconceptions and Clarifications
Some assume the Best Nine is an endorsement of overall greatness rather than positional mastery, but the award is explicitly tied to performance at a specific spot. It is not an MVP vote, nor does it account for league context or team success in isolation. Understanding these boundaries clarifies how the honor should be interpreted when comparing players across eras or positions.
How Fans and Analysts Use the Best Nine
- As a baseline for comparing positional peers within a season
- As a reference point when discussing a player’s career trajectory and Hall of Case eligibility
- As a tool for teaching the nuances of defensive value and position-specific skill
Frequently Asked Questions About the 2017 Best Nine
Because the Best Nine selections are historical and positional, fans often ask how they relate to current performance debates. Questions usually focus on whether certain overlooked players deserve recognition, how injuries affect perception, and how the awards compare to Gold Glove and MVP voting. By anchoring answers in the specific criteria of positional excellence and BBWAA process, these answers remain useful across seasons.
Conclusion: Why the 2017 Best Nine Still Matter
The 2017 Best Nine awards offer a durable snapshot of positional excellence at a moment when sabermetrics and traditional scouting continue to converge. They highlight players who combined skill, consistency, and impact in ways that resonate with both contemporary evaluation and long-term legacy assessments. For fans and analysts, the selections remain a clear, reliable reference for understanding how baseball defines and remembers greatness at every position.