Updated SDI Rankings Put Multiple Twins in the Gold Glove Conversation

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. To put that better data to work during awards season, the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) developed 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 Aug. 11, 2024. 

Pitcher (AL Ranking): Bailey Ober 1.7 SDI (9th), Pablo López 0.0 SDI (16th), Joe Ryan -2.2 SDI (36th)
Ober is the lone Twins pitcher to crack the top 10 and sits one spot ahead of last year’s Gold Glove winner, José Berríos. López was a Gold Glove finalist last season, but has not performed as well in 2024, either in terms of pitching or in fielding his position. Ryan is currently on the IL, so he will likely fall off the final rankings. However, only two AL pitchers have accumulated a lower SDI than Ryan (George Kirby and Corbin Burnes).

Catcher (AL Ranking): Christian Vázquez 6.0 SDI (T-4th), Ryan Jeffers -5.5 SDI (17th)
Vázquez has moved into the top 5 in the rankings after ranking in sixth place earlier in the season. He is only 0.4 behind Detroit’s Jake Rogers, who currently ranks second in the AL. Seattle’s Cal Raleigh has a 9.7 SDI, so the statistical index (just one factor in the outcome, which is still voted on by coaches and managers throughout the league) will almost certainly go for Raleigh.

Jeffers continues to struggle defensively, with his pitch framing only being part of the problem. Boston’s Connor Wong is the lone qualified catcher with a lower SDI than Jeffers. 

First Base (AL Ranking): Carlos Santana 7.1 SDI (1st)
Santana is in a strong position to win his first Gold Glove. Texas’s Nathaniel Lowe ranks second behind Santana, but trails by 1.6 SDI points. Only one other first baseman (Baltimore’s Ryan Mountcastle) has more than 2.0 on the SDI. Among AL defenders, only four players at any position have been better defensively than Santana. In recent weeks, Carlos Correa half-jokingly said that Santana should be in the Platinum Glove conversation, and there was truth to that statement. Santana is having an elite season at first base.

Second Base (AL Ranking): No Twins Qualified
Edouard Julien qualified for the rankings earlier this season, but his demotion means he won’t have enough innings to qualify. Former Twin Jorge Polanco (-5.8 SDI) has the second-lowest SDI total, with New York’s Gleyber Torres (-6.7 SDI) being the only player behind him.

Third Base (AL Ranking): No Twins Qualified
The Twins have used a mélange of players at third base this season. Royce Lewis was the team’s Opening Day starter, but got injured and missed significant time. His defense has been shaky recently, with multiple errant throws impacting games. José Miranda, Kyle Farmer, and Willi Castro have all played over 100 innings at third. None of that trio of players rank particularly well at the hot corner.

Shortstop (AL Ranking): Carlos Correa 0.6 SDI (9th), Willi Castro -3.1 SDI (15th) 
Correa is not the same defender he was in Houston, but he still makes plenty of strong defensive plays. His baseball IQ and strong arm help him to rank among the AL’s top 10 shortstops. Castro is slightly overstretched at shortstop, but has been asked to fill in when Correa was on the IL. Paul DeJong (-6.6 SDI) is the lone AL shortstop with a lower SDI total than Castro, which is why the Royals acquired him last month to play him solely at third base. 

Left Field (AL Ranking): No Twins Players Qualified
The Twins have used six players in left field this season, each accumulating over 100 innings. Minnesota will likely continue to rotate players through the position, so no single player may accumulate enough innings to qualify for the SDI rankings. 

Center Field (AL Ranking): Byron Buxton -0.7 SDI (13th)
Buxton has seemed to return to form at the plate and in the field this season, but the SDI rankings don’t favor his performance. Baltimore’s Cedric Mullins (-2.3 SDI) and New York’s Aaron Judge (-3.1 SDI) are the only players who rank lower than Buxton. Other defensive metrics paint him in a better light. He ranks in the 84th percentile for Fielding Run Value, and his four OAA ranks in the 87th percentile. 

Right Field (AL Ranking): Max Kepler 0.2 SDI (5th)
Kepler’s defense has taken a downturn as the season has unfolded. In the first SDI rankings, his 2.3 SDI nearly matched his total for the entire 2023 campaign. His overall ranking in the AL hasn’t changed, but his SDI total has dropped significantly. He has been known for his strong defense throughout his time with the Twins. The top three right fielders all have more than 4.0 SDI scores, though, so barring overwhelming support from voters, Kepler likely falls short of qualifying as a Gold Glove finalist.

Are you surprised by any of these defensive rankings? Leave a comment and start the discussion.