Best Defensive defenders by Season Rating in J2 League 2026

The best defensive defenders in J2 League in 2026, ranked on Field Insider.

Best defensive goalkeepers in J2 League Best defensive midfielders in J2 League Best defensive attackers in J2 League Best defenders in J2 League Most in-form defenders in J2 League Top-scoring defenders in J2 League

At a glance

H. Tanaka of Tokushima Vortis is the standout for raw talent across defenders in J2 League, with a Field Insider Rating of 55.7, and T. Shirai has been the form player this season, grading 66.2, and M. Jonjić leads the scoring with 3 goals.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: M. Ito has improved his Season rating most, up +29.2 on last season, while S. Matsumura's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +1 over the same span. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, H. Tanaka of Tokushima Vortis is the most valuable name in this group at 11.5.

Shonan Bellmare · 24/25→25/26

Most improved

M. Ito+29.2SsN

Yokohama FC · 24/25→25/26

50 players · ranked by best defendersCustomise →

	Player	Team
1	T. Shirai Full-back	Vanraure Hachinohe	29	66.2	66	19
2	H. Yukie Centre-back	Vanraure Hachinohe	30	57.4	57	16
3	K. Yamazaki Centre-back	Jubilo Iwata	30	48.5	4988%	3310.7%
4	A. Fukumori Full-back	Consadole Sapporo	33	42.7	43152.7%	1738.1%
5	Y. Sato Centre-back	Tochigi City	28	40.8	41	22
6	H. Tanaka Centre-back	Tokushima Vortis	22	40.4	4013366.7%	5630.8%
7	M. Ito Centre-back	Yokohama FC	34	40	40270.4%	1714.8%
8	N. Yamada Centre-back	Tokushima Vortis	23	36.9	37	40
9	M. Jonjić Centre-back	Tochigi City	35	36.5	3777.2%	857%
10	H. Suzuki Centre-back	Tochigi City	26	35	35	26
11	D. Kato Centre-back	Jubilo Iwata	28	33.6	34	26
12	K. Shimbo Full-back	Yokohama FC	24	32.3	32	50
13	K. Yamakoshi Centre-back	Tokushima Vortis	33	31.5	32668.3%	1234.1%
14	R. Okui Centre-back	Tochigi City	36	30.7	31186.9%	766%
15	Y. Matsumoto Centre-back	Tegevajaro Miyazaki	26	30.4	30	26
16	Y. Suzuki Centre-back	Shonan Bellmare	32	28.4	2827.9%	2426.9%
17	H. Aoki Centre-back	Tokushima Vortis	25	26.9	27	36
18	Y. Takagi Centre-back	Tokushima Vortis	28	25.8	2695.5%	2744.6%
19	Soichiro Tsutsumi Full-back	Tegevajaro Miyazaki	25	25.8	26	28
20	K. Kuroki Centre-back	Tegevajaro Miyazaki	27	25.7	26	23
21	Y. Horigome Centre-back	Consadole Sapporo	32	25.2	25101.6%	2224.4%
22	Gabriel Centre-back	Omiya Ardija	31	25.2	251300%	1834.2%
23	W. Shimoguchi Centre-back	Omiya Ardija	28	24.6	25	27
24	S. Inoue Centre-back	Vegalta Sendai	26	24.5	252127.3%	3416.8%
25	M. Sugata Centre-back	Vegalta Sendai	29	24.4	24	2439.6%
26	K. Iwatake Centre-back	Yokohama FC	30	23.7	24±0%	2345%
27	Y. Shimokawa Full-back	Tegevajaro Miyazaki	31	23.2	23	16
28	K. Tachi Centre-back	Shonan Bellmare	28	23.2	232477.8%	329.8%
29	S. Suzuki Full-back	Omiya Ardija	25	23	23	27
30	K. Konomi Centre-back	Consadole Sapporo	19	21.4	21	28
31	T. Son Centre-back	Imabari	27	20.7	21	30
32	R. Mori Full-back	Albirex Niigata	25	20.5	21	28
33	A. Simmons Full-back	Tochigi City	23	20.1	20	19
34	R. Ishio Centre-back	Vegalta Sendai	25	19.5	2099%	363%
35	R. Nozawa Centre-back	Ventforet Kofu	27	19.3	19	26
36	T. Inui Centre-back	Tochigi City	30	19.3	19	14
37	T. Ezaki Centre-back	Jubilo Iwata	26	18.3	18	34
38	M. Yoshida Centre-back	Sagan Tosu	24	18.3	18	3616.3%
39	R. Morishita Centre-back	Sagan Tosu	27	18.3	18	30
40	S. Ogawa Centre-back	Sagan Tosu	27	18	18	33
41	M. Fitzgerald Centre-back	Albirex Niigata	38	17.8	1829.9%	1331.6%
42	R. Nishio Centre-back	Omiya Ardija	25	17.6	1834.3%	523%
43	S. Okaniwa Centre-back	Iwaki	27	16.9	175533.3%	3616.1%
44	S. Matsumura Centre-back	Shonan Bellmare	22	16.2	16912.5%	442.3%
45	K. Funaki Centre-back	Albirex Niigata	28	15.1	1542.4%	3722.9%
46	J. Geria Centre-back	Albirex Niigata	33	15.1	15	15
47	K. Ohno Centre-back	Shonan Bellmare	37	14.7	1544.1%	647.5%
48	R. Motegi Centre-back	Omiya Ardija	30	14.7	15	22
49	Y. Koide Centre-back	Ventforet Kofu	32	14.6	1533%	1563.9%
50	Matheus Pereira Centre-back	Oita Trinita	29	14	14102.9%	2147.6%