Photo: John Cordes (l) and Jeff Zelevansky (r)/Icon Sportswire

Did you notice that the additions to this year’s Hall of Fame class include a bunch of defensive studs?

There are already some great defensive players on the ballot (we wrote about Chase Utley last year and there are several longtime holdovers, some with problematic off-field histories, too) but the addition of these players makes the ballot really defense-rich.

Ichiro Suzuki headlines the first-year eligible candidate group and while fans often marvel at his hitting, his defense in his MLB prime was high end.

Ichiro reached a Defensive Runs Saved total that few right fielders have reached. He had 30 in 2004, the second season for which that stat is tracked. The only right fielder with more in a season is Mookie Betts, who had 33 in 2016 and 32 in 2017. Ichiro was never able to replicate anything close to that 2004 season in terms of defense, but totaled at least 10 Runs Saved in five other seasons. His arm rated best in the early part of his career when he had numerous highlight-reel throws. He also tallied 10 home run robberies from when we first started fully tracking them in 2004. Only five players have more.

In all, Ichiro is one of three players with at least 100 Runs Saved in right field and is a 3-time Fielding Bible Award winner at that position.

Most Defensive Runs Saved – Right Field

Ichiro isn’t the only ballot newcomer with at least 100 Runs Saved at a position. Dustin Pedroia ranks third among second basemen with 107 Runs Saved. He’s directly behind second-year Hall candidate Chase Utley. And two spots behind Pedroia is another ballot newcomer, Ian Kinsler.

Both Pedroia and Kinsler were solid players, though most will likely dub them a fit for the ‘Hall of Very Good.’ Pedroia twice led second basemen in Defensive Runs Saved in a season and finished in the top five at that position six times. He perfected a pre-pitch hop that allowed him to get a quick first step in making a play. Pedroia has the most Fielding Bible Awards among second basemen with 4.

Kinsler has the most Double Play Runs Saved of any second baseman. He ranked in the top five in Defensive Runs Saved at second base seven times in a 14-year career and led the majors in Runs Saved there in 2009. He won a Fielding Bible Award at second base in 2015.

Most Defensive Runs Saved – Second Base

Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki had one of the best defensive seasons of anyone at that position within the history of Defensive Runs Saved. He led shortstops with 31 Runs Saved in 2007 and finished in the top five in Runs Saved there five other times. Tulowitzki’s specialty when he was at his best, was making plays deep in the shortstop-third base hole that other shortstops weren’t making. Tulowitzki is a 3-time Fielding Bible Award winner at shortstop.

From 2009 to 2011, Ben Zobrist was one of the best players in baseball and a primary reason for that was his defense. Zobrist ranked tied for second in Runs Saved among right fielders and fourth among second basemen in Defensive Runs Saved over that three-year period.

SIS began tracking which catchers were getting more strikes than expected for their pitchers in 2010 and from the start, it was apparent that Russell Martin was pretty good at it.

Since that season, Martin ranks third among catchers in Runs Saved overall and fourth in Strike Zone Runs Saved, which measures pitch framing. Even before that, Martin rated well as a catcher. He led the position in Runs Saved in 2007 and then again in 2013 and ranked in the top five in five other seasons.

Other newcomers on the ballot who were notable defenders include Curtis Granderson, who finished second among right fielders in Runs Saved in 2015 after finishing third among center fielders in 2007. There’s also the odd case of Adam Jones. Though Jones ranks second-worst in the range component of Defensive Runs Saved for center fielders dating back to 2003, he ranks No. 1 overall in Outfield Arm Runs Saved at the position in that time. Plus, his signature play is a home run robbery at the World Baseball Classic.