Best Defensive players by Season Rating in J2 League 2026

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

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

At a glance

H. Tanaka of Tokushima Vortis is the standout for raw talent across players in J2 League, with a Field Insider Rating of 55.7, and S. Onishi has been the form player this season, grading 45.4, and K. Hashimoto leads the scoring with 8 goals.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: K. Onose has improved his Season rating most, up +21.4 on last season, while J. Okumura's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +2.2 over the same span. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, K. Nagata of Vanraure Hachinohe is the most valuable name in this group at 12.2.

Albirex Niigata · 24/25→25/26

Most improved

K. Onose+21.4SsN

Shonan Bellmare · 24/25→25/26

50 players · ranked by best defendersCustomise →

	Player	Team
1	K. Minoda Centre-back	Shonan Bellmare	27	43.9	44	2832.6%
2	T. Shirai Full-back	Vanraure Hachinohe	29	38.9	39	19
3	M. Ito Centre-back	Yokohama FC	33	31.6	32192.6%	1714.8%
4	K. Shimbo Full-back	Yokohama FC	24	31	31	50
5	A. Fukumori Full-back	Consadole Sapporo	33	29.3	2973.4%	1738.1%
6	S. Fujiwara Full-back	Albirex Niigata	30	29.2	2936.9%	3126.6%
7	H. Yukie Centre-back	Vanraure Hachinohe	30	29	29	16
8	Y. Suzuki Centre-back	Shonan Bellmare	32	28.9	2926.6%	2426.9%
9	K. Yamazaki Centre-back	Jubilo Iwata	30	28.9	2912%	3310.7%
10	Y. Sato Centre-back	Tochigi City	28	23.9	24	22
11	D. Kato Centre-back	Jubilo Iwata	27	23.2	23	26
12	H. Suzuki Centre-back	Tochigi City	26	20.5	21	26
13	H. Tanaka Centre-back	Tokushima Vortis	22	18.8	196166.7%	5630.8%
14	N. Yamada Centre-back	Tokushima Vortis	23	17.6	18	40
15	Y. Matsumoto Centre-back	Tegevajaro Miyazaki	26	16.7	17	26
16	M. Jonjić Centre-back	Tochigi City	35	16.7	1718.9%	857%
17	M. Fitzgerald Centre-back	Albirex Niigata	37	16.1	1636.6%	1331.6%
18	Y. Horigome Centre-back	Consadole Sapporo	31	16.1	1628.8%	2224.4%
19	K. Yamakoshi Centre-back	Tokushima Vortis	33	15	15265.9%	1234.1%
20	A. Simmons Full-back	Tochigi City	23	14.9	15	19
21	R. Okui Centre-back	Tochigi City	36	14	1430.8%	766%
22	K. Kuroki Centre-back	Tegevajaro Miyazaki	27	14	14	23
23	Gabriel Centre-back	Omiya Ardija	31	13.3	13638.9%	1834.2%
24	H. Aoki Centre-back	Tokushima Vortis	25	12.8	13	36
25	K. Iwatake Centre-back	Yokohama FC	30	12.7	1346.4%	2345%
26	K. Tachi Centre-back	Shonan Bellmare	28	12.4	121277.8%	329.8%
27	Y. Takagi Centre-back	Tokushima Vortis	28	12.3	126.8%	2744.6%
28	G. Egawa Centre-back	Tegevajaro Miyazaki	26	12.2	12	26
29	S. Inoue Centre-back	Vegalta Sendai	26	12.2	121009.1%	3416.8%
30	M. Sugata Centre-back	Vegalta Sendai	29	12.2	12	2439.6%
31	R. Mori Full-back	Albirex Niigata	25	12	12	28
32	W. Shimoguchi Centre-back	Omiya Ardija	28	12	12	27
33	K. Konomi Centre-back	Consadole Sapporo	19	11.7	12	28
34	Y. Shimokawa Full-back	Tegevajaro Miyazaki	30	11.6	12	16
35	R. Nozawa Centre-back	Ventforet Kofu	27	11.1	11	26
36	R. Nishio Centre-back	Omiya Ardija	25	10.8	1159.7%	523%
37	T. Son Centre-back	Imabari	27	10.3	10	30
38	R. Morishita Centre-back	Sagan Tosu	27	9.9	10	30
39	R. Ishio Centre-back	Vegalta Sendai	25	9.8	10±0%	363%
40	J. Geria Centre-back	Albirex Niigata	33	9.4	9	15
41	M. Yoshida Centre-back	Oita Trinita	24	9.1	9	3616.3%
42	S. Okaniwa Centre-back	Shonan Bellmare	26	9	92900%	3616.1%
43	S. Ogawa Centre-back	Sagan Tosu	26	9	9	33
44	T. Ezaki Centre-back	Jubilo Iwata	26	8.9	9	34
45	T. Inui Centre-back	Tochigi City	30	8.8	9	14
46	K. Ohno Centre-back	Shonan Bellmare	37	8.7	914.7%	647.5%
47	S. Matsumura Centre-back	Shonan Bellmare	22	8.7	9443.7%	442.3%
48	K. Funaki Centre-back	Albirex Niigata	28	7.5	871.4%	3722.9%
49	Y. Koide Centre-back	Ventforet Kofu	31	7.3	766.5%	1563.9%
50	R. Motegi Centre-back	Omiya Ardija	29	7.1	7	22