Scott Spratt, Special to ESPN.com 8y

The breakout defenders of 2015

MLB

The 2015 season marked a return of power in Major League Baseball. Home runs were up 17 percent compared to last season and were more in line with the power production from 2005 to 2009 than 2010 to 2014. But as exciting as young players like Kris Bryant and Joc Pederson were with their bats, many of their contemporaries did just as much to impress with their gloves. You likely already know the names of defensive wizards such as Andrelton Simmons, Nolan Arenado and Lorenzo Cain, but a number of new players joined their ranks with breakout defensive seasons this year.

With that, here are breakout-defenders teams for each league:

National League

Francisco Cervelli

Catcher: Francisco Cervelli
Pittsburgh Pirates
Defensive Runs Saved: 8

When catcher Russell Martin left Pittsburgh via free agency and signed a five-year, $82 million deal with the Blue Jays, it seemed like a potentially devastating blow to the up-and-coming Pirates. Martin is one of those exceedingly rare two-way catchers. In 2014, his offense was 41 percent better than a league-average hitter, according to Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+), third best among catchers with at least 300 plate appearances. Meanwhile, his 19 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) trailed only Jonathan Lucroy at the position.

Just as they had done with Chris Stewart, whom the Pirates traded for in December 2013, the Pirates uncovered a defensive gem in Cervelli based primarily on his pitch-framing ability. As a career backup, Cervelli had saved 10 runs with his framing since 2010. In 2015, his first full season as a starter, he saved 11 runs with his framing. And while they figured he'd be good defensively, the Pirates probably did not expect his offensive outburst; Cervelli was just five percent short of Martin's offensive production this season while making less than $1 million.

Brandon Belt

First base: Brandon Belt
San Francisco Giants
Defensive Runs Saved: 8

Belt has been a solid defender for the Giants since his rookie season in 2011, thanks primarily to his above-average quickness for a first baseman.

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