Best Defensive players by Season Rating in J1 League 2027

The best defensive players in J1 League in 2027, ranked on Field Insider.

Best defensive goalkeepers in J1 League Best defensive defenders in J1 League Best defensive midfielders in J1 League Best defensive attackers in J1 League Best players in J1 League Most in-form players in J1 League

At a glance

R. Handa of Gamba Osaka is the standout for raw talent across players in J1 League, with a Field Insider Rating of 56.5, and K. Osako has been the form player this season, grading 45.7, and Erik leads the scoring with 8 goals.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: J. Sumiyoshi has improved his Season rating most, up +29.2 on last season, while Y. Takeda's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +4.6 over the same span. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, Y. Yamada of Kashiwa Reysol is the most valuable name in this group at 22.2.

Nagoya Grampus · 24/25→25/26

Most improved

J. Sumiyoshi+29.2SsN

Shimizu S-pulse · 23/24→25/26

27 players · ranked by best defendersCustomise →

	Player	Team
1	R. Handa Full-back	Gamba Osaka	24	45.5	4666.1%	577%
2	J. Sumiyoshi Centre-back	Shimizu S-pulse	28	38	38331.8%	3914.4%
3	D. Tagami Centre-back	Fagiano Okayama	33	35.3	35330.5%	215.9%
4	S. Fukuoka Centre-back	Gamba Osaka	30	32.3	3219%	3321.7%
5	Kim Tae-Hyeon Centre-back	Kashima	25	31.4	3178.4%	527.6%
6	T. Shichi Centre-back	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	32	28.9	29750%	257.6%
7	M. Tashiro Centre-back	Avispa Fukuoka	33	28.3	2839%	1743.1%
8	T. Kamijima Centre-back	Avispa Fukuoka	29	27.7	2824.2%	3225.1%
9	K. Anzai Full-back	Kashima	31	27.4	2733.5%	2634.8%
10	T. Deng Centre-back	Yokohama F. Marinos	29	26.4	2627.5%	3123.9%
11	M. Yamane Full-back	Urawa	32	21.8	2222.5%	173.1%
12	Y. Nagatomo Full-back	FC Tokyo	39	20.7	2131%	1014.9%
13	Y. Maruyama Centre-back	Kawasaki Frontale	37	19.8	20304.1%	1122.2%
14	K. Matsubara Centre-back	Yokohama F. Marinos	33	19.2	191.1%	1641.4%
15	Kim Min-Tae Centre-back	Machida Zelvia	32	17.1	1732.1%	2616%
16	T. Oka Centre-back	FC Tokyo	24	15	15±0%	47±0%
17	Y. Takahashi Centre-back	Shimizu S-pulse	33	14.1	1465.4%	1461.8%
18	Kim Ju-Sung Centre-back	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	25	13.7	1446.3%	472.3%
19	M. Yuzawa Full-back	Avispa Fukuoka	32	13.3	1316.9%	1730%
20	K. Inoue Full-back	Shimizu S-pulse	28	13	138.3%	3516.7%
21	R. Kikuchi Centre-back	Machida Zelvia	29	12.8	1358%	2922.8%
22	K. Chida Centre-back	Tokyo Verdy	31	12.4	1258.5%	1846.3%
23	D. Suzuki Centre-back	JEF United Chiba	36	11.6	1278.5%	1054%
24	E. Gyotoku Centre-back	Nagoya Grampus	21	7.5	8	26
25	K. Takahata Centre-back	V-varen Nagasaki	25	6.6	7106.2%	3717.6%
26	Y. Matsunagane Full-back	Kawasaki Frontale	21	6	6215.8%	3034%
27	Y. Ozaki Centre-back	Vissel Kobe	23	4.2	4600%	3816.2%