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Most Improved defenders This Season in J1 League

The most improved defenders in J1 League, ranked on Field Insider.

Most improved goalkeepers in J1 LeagueMost improved midfielders in J1 LeagueMost improved attackers in J1 LeagueBest defenders in J1 LeagueMost in-form defenders in J1 LeagueTop-scoring defenders in J1 League

At a glance

R. Handa of Gamba Osaka is the standout for raw talent across defenders in J1 League, with a Field Insider Rating of 56.5, and T. Koga has been the form player this season, grading 69.2, and Diego leads the scoring with 5 goals.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: T. Koga has improved his Season rating most, up +45.3 on last season, while Kim Tae-Hyeon's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +3.7 over the same span. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, T. Koga of Kashiwa Reysol is the most valuable name in this group at 22.7.

Best talent
R. Handa56.5RTG
Gamba Osaka
In form
T. Koga69.2SsN
Kashiwa Reysol
Rising potential
Kim Tae-Hyeon+3.7RTG
Kashima · 24/25→25/26
Most improved
T. Koga+45.3SsN
Kashiwa Reysol · 24/25→25/26
Top scorer
Diego5goals
Kashiwa Reysol
Most valuable
T. Koga22.7val
Kashiwa Reysol
50 players · ranked by most improvedCustomise →
PlayerTeam
1T. KogaCentre-backKashiwa Reysol27+45.3
24/25→25/26
69189.5%504.6%
2R. KoikeFull-backKashima30+34
24/25→25/26
38790.7%335.4%
3J. SumiyoshiCentre-backShimizu S-pulse28+29.2
23/24→25/26
38331.8%3914.4%
4W. HaradaFull-backKashiwa Reysol30+27.5
24/25→25/26
52110.4%3312.1%
5D. TagamiCentre-backFagiano Okayama33+27.1
23/24→25/26
35330.5%215.9%
6S. HasukawaCentre-backShimizu S-pulse28+25.6
21/22→25/26
31483%3812.8%
7T. ShichiCentre-backAvispa Fukuoka32+25.5
24/25→25/26
29750%2014.4%
8Y. TatsutaCentre-backFagiano Okayama28+25.3
24/25→25/26
33341.9%381.3%
9H. ArakiCentre-backSanfrecce Hiroshima30+25.2
24/25→25/26
5488.1%3522.7%
10H. TaniguchiCentre-backTokyo Verdy26+25
24/25→25/26
5779.1%4811.6%
11K. NagatoFull-backVissel Kobe31+22.9
24/25→25/26
38151.7%2911.6%
12D. FukazawaCentre-backTokyo Verdy27+22.2
24/25→25/26
34185%3911.1%
13H. MitsumaruFull-backKashiwa Reysol33+22.2
24/25→25/26
26528.6%158.3%
14M. ItoCentre-backYokohama FC33+21.6
24/25→25/26
32200%1813.3%
15Danilo BozaCentre-backUrawa28+19.1
24/25→25/26
4381.6%4330.6%
16R. HandaFull-backGamba Osaka24+18.1
24/25→25/26
4666.1%577%
17B. NdukaCentre-backYokohama FC30+17.4
23/24→25/26
4368%3320.4%
18Y. MaruyamaCentre-backKawasaki Frontale37+14.9
24/25→25/26
20304.1%1122.2%
19A. FukumoriFull-backYokohama FC33+14.5
23/24→25/26
3185.8%1738.1%
20Kim Tae-HyeonCentre-backKashima25+13.8
24/25→25/26
3178.4%527.6%
21R. KatoFull-backYokohama F. Marinos26+12.3
24/25→25/26
24101.7%447.2%
22K. HashimotoFull-backAlbirex Niigata26+12.3
24/25→25/26
17286%417%
23H. IshiharaFull-backUrawa27+12.2
24/25→25/26
3749.8%4411.4%
24M. HøibråtenCentre-backUrawa31+11.7
24/25→25/26
4435.9%3117.6%
25K. TachiCentre-backShonan Bellmare28+11.5
24/25→25/26
121277.8%329.8%
26H. InamuraFull-backAlbirex Niigata24+11.1
24/25→25/26
14426.9%473.3%
27Y. SatoFull-backNagoya Grampus27+10.8
24/25→25/26
2575.5%424.3%
28S. SasakiFull-backSanfrecce Hiroshima36+9.8
24/25→25/26
5124%220.5%
29S. MiuraFull-backKawasaki Frontale25+9.5
24/25→25/26
2184.1%520.6%
30A. SasakiFull-backKawasaki Frontale26+7.5
24/25→25/26
3132.5%508.6%
31N. AraiDefensive midfielderSanfrecce Hiroshima29+7.3
24/25→25/26
2639.9%3426.2%
32N. UedaCentre-backKashima31+7.2
24/25→25/26
5016.8%3416.4%
33S. MatsumuraFull-backShonan Bellmare22+7.1
24/25→25/26
9443.7%442.3%
34A. ScholzCentre-backFC Tokyo33+7
24/25→25/26
2052.6%1624.2%
35S. HatanakaCentre-backCerezo Osaka30+6.9
24/25→25/26
2149.3%324.2%
36Y. SuzukiCentre-backKyoto Sanga33+6.5
24/25→25/26
3225.2%244%
37K. DoiCentre-backFC Tokyo21+6.2
24/25→25/26
2141.1%510.8%
38T. NaraFull-backAvispa Fukuoka32+5.9
24/25→25/26
2235.8%1920.5%
39R. KikuchiCentre-backMachida Zelvia29+5.8
24/25→25/26
1471.6%3022%
40T. DengCentre-backYokohama F. Marinos29+5.7
24/25→25/26
2627.5%3123.9%
41T. KamijimaCentre-backAvispa Fukuoka29+5.4
24/25→25/26
2824.2%3225.1%
42T. YamakawaCentre-backVissel Kobe28+5.4
24/25→25/26
4513.7%4417%
43K. KitazumeFull-backShimizu S-pulse34+5.4
22/23→25/26
1277.1%1246.1%
44K. YamazakiCentre-backYokohama FC30+5.2
24/25→25/26
3120.2%2725.5%
45Y. NagatomoFull-backFC Tokyo39+4.9
24/25→25/26
2131%1014.9%
46Y. HorigomeFull-backAlbirex Niigata31+4.7
24/25→25/26
1737.6%2224.4%
47Y. MiyamotoCentre-backKyoto Sanga26+4.6
24/25→25/26
2918.5%50±0%
48R. ShindoCentre-backCerezo Osaka30+4.6
24/25→25/26
1170.8%2811.5%
49K. SatoFull-backKyoto Sanga26+4.2
24/25→25/26
2917.2%473.1%
50G. SakaiFull-backVissel Kobe35+3.8
24/25→25/26
439.6%1810.7%