Pedroia named AL Defensive Player of Year

BOSTON -- Dustin Pedroia, fresh off winning the second World Series championship of his career, continues to gain recognition for his stellar defense.

The Red Sox's All-Star second baseman was named the American League's Defensive Player of the Year by Wilson on Thursday night.

Just last week, Pedroia earned his third career Gold Glove Award.

"It's definitely a huge honor," Pedroia said of winning the Gold Glove. "I mean, there's so many great second basemen in the American League. So to win that award, it's an honor. We play against them every night. You see them out there and you respect them so much the way they play the game, all of them. It's a huge honor."

Though Pedroia didn't have his typical strong postseason at the plate, he made up for it in the field, seemingly making a spectacular play or two in every game.

In the regular season, Pedroia was a reliable workhorse, making 159 starts at second. He made just five errors in 688 chances.

Pedroia's .993 fielding percentage was the best of his career.

D-backs outfielder Gerardo Parra won the Defensive Player of the Year award in the NL.

Founded in 2012, the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award winners are determined by using a formula that balances scouting information, sabermetric analysis and basic fielding statistics. In addition to the overall winners in each league, Wilson named a top defender for each team. Obviously, Pedroia was named the best fielder on the Red Sox.

The GIBBY trophy for Defensive Player of the Year will be awarded as part of the 2013 Greatness in Baseball Yearly Awards, which are based on voting by media, front-office personnel, MLB alumni and the Society for American Baseball Research, as well as fan balloting on MLB.com.

Through Sunday, Dec. 1, fans will be able to cast their ballots at MLB.com for the year's top defensive star, with no individual league affiliation.