Multiple Twins Drop in Updated SDI Rankings

Defensive metrics have come a long way over the last decade. With Statcast tracking every batted ball, the amount of information available to fans is at an all-time high. One metric the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) developed is the SABR Defensive Index (SDI). 

According to SABR's website, the SDI "draws on and aggregates two types of existing defensive metrics: those derived from batted ball location-based data and those collected from play-by-play accounts." Since 2013, SDI has been used as part of the process for selecting Gold Glove winners. The rankings below are through games played on August 13th, 2023. 

Pitcher (AL Ranking): Pablo Lopez 2.3 SDI (3rd), Sonny Gray 1.3 SDI (5th), Joe Ryan -0.8 SDI (22nd)
Lopez continues to put himself in the conversation as one of the top defenders off the mound. Over the last month, his SDI total rose from 1.5 to 2.3, which ranks him behind Jose Berrios and Dean Kremer in the AL. After a tremendous month, Sonny Gray jumped from the back end of the rankings into the top five. He has a chance to jump into the Gold Glove conversation if he continues at this pace. Ryan's injury has kept him from improving his SDI total for the year. 

Catcher (AL Ranking): Christian Vazquez 1.6 SDI (5th), Ryan Jeffers -0.4 SDI (10th)
Both Twins catchers dropped significantly in their SDI total over the last month. Vazquez saw his SDI total drop from 3.2 to 1.6 but didn't drop in the overall standings. He is 0.8 points out of the top three, so he will need to recoup some of that value in the season's final month, which might be a challenge since the Twins have been giving Jeffers more playing time. Jeffers also struggled by dropping in the rankings from 8th to 10th and losing 2.0 SDI points. It seems unlikely for either catcher to finish as a Gold Glove finalist. 

First Base (AL Ranking): No Twins Players Qualify
The Twins have used multiple players at first base so far in 2023, which means no one has accumulated enough innings to qualify for the SDI leaderboard. Donovan Solano (-1 OAA), Alex Kirilloff (-5 OAA), and Joey Gallo (0 OAA) have each accumulated over 290 innings at first base. New York's Anthony Rizzo and Texas' Nathaniel Lowe sit atop the AL first base rankings, and the Gold Glove race will likely come down to these two players. 

Second Base (AL Ranking): No Twins Players Qualify
Edouard Julien and Jorge Polanco have split time at second base for the Twins but neither ranks particularly well defensively. Polanco posted a -9 OAA during the 2022 season, and he's been worth a -6 OAA during the current season. Julien is a poor second-base defender, but he's been worth -2 OAA in close to 100 more defensive innings than Polanco. Injuries have clearly impacted Polanco over the last two seasons, and that's one of the reasons his Twins tenure may be ending. 

Third Base (AL Ranking): No Twins Players Qualify
Third base has been a position in flux for the Twins this season. Jose Miranda started the year at the hot corner and posted a -6 OAA in over 300 innings. Kyle Farmer has played the second-most innings at third, but it's been his worst defensive position in 2023. He's been worth 1 OAA at shortstop and second base while posting a -1 OAA at third. The Twins hope Royce Lewis can handle third base for the remainder of the season, but a new position has a learning curve. Like Farmer, he has been worth a -1 OAA with some strong plays more recently.  

Shortstop (AL Ranking): Carlos Correa -1.9 SDI (7th) 
In July's SDI update, Correa jumped from 11th to 7th among AL shortstops and improved by 1.7 SDI. There was hope he could continue moving up the rankings down the stretch. However, it was a rough month, and he dropped by 3.6 SDI points. One has to wonder if his plantar fasciitis impacts his defensive skills, but he's been worth 2 OAA for the entire 2023 season. Wander Franco (11.8 SDI) and Anthony Volpe (9.8 SDI) have more than triple the SDI total of the third-place defender, so Correa wasn't going to be in the Gold Glove conversation. 

Left Field (AL Ranking): Willi Castro 1.8 SDI (4th), Joey Gallo 0.1 SDI (6th)
Willi Castro has made himself irreplaceable on the current Twins roster and has a chance to be a Gold Glove finalist in left field. He wasn't known as a strong defender before this season, but he's posted a positive OAA at shortstop, third base, second base, and left field. Only three qualified players, including Isaiah Kiner-Falefa, Jarred Kelenic, and Andrew Benintendi, rank behind Gallo. Cleveland's Steven Kwan (10 SDI) has lapped the field and should easily walk away with the Gold Glove. 

Center Field (AL Ranking): Michael A. Taylor 6.3 SDI (3rd-Tie)
Taylor had a tremendous defensive month to move from fifth in the AL to tied for the top three. He gained 2.6 SDI points over the last month, including multiple highlight reel catches (see below). His OAA ranks in the 95th percentile, seven points higher than last season, and his arm strength ranks in the 91st percentile. His previous reputation might help him to be a Gold Glove finalist over some of the other candidates. Other top center-field defenders include Jake Meyers (7.1 SDI), Julio Rodriguez (6.6 SDI), and Kevin Kiermaier (6.3 SDI). 

Right Field (AL Ranking): Max Kepler 1.2 SDI (9th)
Kepler will fall short of being a Gold Glove finalist for the second consecutive season. He's considered a strong defender but a slow start at the beginning of the season has prevented him from ranking higher among AL right fielders. His OAA sat in the 67th percentile at the beginning of June, and he's improved to the 88th percentile. Kepler's improved offensive performance has helped to cover up some of his defensive lapses during the 2023 season. 

Do any of these defensive rankings surprise you? Which Twins will be Gold Glove finalists? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.