SABR Defensive Index rankings released through September 13, 2015
SEPTEMBER 18, 2015 — Tampa Bay center fielder Kevin Kiermaier continues to hold a strong lead in the AL and San Francisco shortstop Brandon Crawford has retained the NL’s top spot in the SABR Defensive Index™ rankings through games of September 13, 2015.
The SABR Defensive Index is used to help select the winners of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award® and Rawlings Platinum Glove Award™, presented by SABR. This is the final in-season update of the SDI rankings and includes all 2015 qualifiers who will appear on the Rawlings Gold Glove Award ballot sent to managers and coaches.
The SABR Defensive Index 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. The three metrics representing batted ball data include Defensive Runs Saved from Baseball Info Solutions, Ultimate Zone Rating developed by noted sabermetrician Mitchel Lichtman, and Runs Effectively Defended based on STATS Zone Rating and built by SABR Defensive Committee member Chris Dial. The two metrics included in the SDI originating from play-by-play data are Defensive Regression Analysis, created by committee member Michael Humphreys, and Total Zone Rating.
The SABR Defensive Index accounts for approximately 25 percent of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award selection process that was added to the votes from the managers and coaches.
Kiermaier’s SDI of 26.7 is the best in the game among all qualified defenders, ahead of Baltimore third baseman Manny Machado (12.4), Toronto center fielder Kevin Pillar (10.8), Detroit left fielder Yoenis Cespedes (9.9 — AL numbers only), and Kansas City center fielder Lorenzo Cain (9.2).
Crawford’s SDI of 16.8 through September 13 is the top figure in the NL, ahead of Colorado third baseman Nolan Arenado (13.2), Miami shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria (11.6), San Francisco first baseman Brandon Belt (11.1), and St. Louis right fielder Jason Heyward (10.2).
The SDI results were released today by the Society for American Baseball Research.
The final SDI results will be released following the conclusion of the 2015 regular season at SABR.org. The SDI is compiled by the SABR Defensive Committee, which includes SABR President Vince Gennaro, Sean Forman of Baseball-Reference.com, Ben Jedlovec of Baseball Info Solutions, SABR Director F.X. Flinn, author and defensive metrics expert Chris Dial, and author Michael Humphreys.
Here are the top 25 players in each League, through games of September 13, 2015 (click here to view full SDI rankings by position):
AL leaders
| Player | Team | Position | SDI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Kiermaier | TBR | CF | 26.7 |
| Manny Machado | BAL | 3B | 12.4 |
| Kevin Pillar | TOR | CF | 10.8 |
| Yoenis Cespedes | DET | LF | 9.9 |
| Lorenzo Cain | KCR | CF | 9.2 |
| Dallas Keuchel | HOU | P | 8.3 |
| Adrian Beltre | TEX | 3B | 7.9 |
| Josh Donaldson | TOR | 3B | 7.3 |
| Ian Kinsler | DET | 2B | 7.2 |
| Kole Calhoun | LAA | RF | 7.2 |
| Alcides Escobar | KCR | SS | 7.1 |
| Jason Castro | HOU | C | 6.5 |
| Kyle Seager | SEA | 3B | 6.4 |
| Eric Sogard | OAK | 2B | 6.1 |
| Mike Trout | LAA | CF | 6.0 |
| Adam Jones | BAL | CF | 5.6 |
| Jose Altuve | HOU | 2B | 5.4 |
| J.J. Hardy | BAL | SS | 5.4 |
| Eddie Rosario | MIN | LF | 5.4 |
| Evan Longoria | TBR | 3B | 5.3 |
| Mike Moustakas | KCR | 3B | 5.1 |
| Mike Zunino | SEA | C | 4.6 |
| Mike Napoli | TEX/BOS | 1B | 4.6 |
| Caleb Joseph | BAL | C | 4.4 |
| Omar Infante | KCR | 2B | 3.9 |
NL leaders
| Player | Team | Position | SDI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Crawford | SFG | SS | 16.8 |
| Nolan Arenado | COL | 3B | 13.2 |
| Adeiny Hechavarria | MIA | SS | 11.6 |
| Brandon Belt | SFG | 1B | 11.1 |
| Jason Heyward | STL | RF | 10.2 |
| Andrelton Simmons | ATL | SS | 10.1 |
| Nick Ahmed | ARI | SS | 9.9 |
| Buster Posey | SFG | C | 9.7 |
| Danny Espinosa | WSN | 2B | 9.6 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | ARI | 1B | 9.4 |
| Wilson Ramos | WSN | C | 8.6 |
| Adrian Gonzalez | LAD | 1B | 8.3 |
| Ichiro Suzuki | MIA | RF | 8.2 |
| Billy Hamilton | CIN | CF | 8.0 |
| Curtis Granderson | NYM | RF | 7.8 |
| Starling Marte | PIT | LF | 7.4 |
| Addison Russell | CHC | 2B | 7.4 |
| Odubel Herrera | PHI | CF | 7.3 |
| Matt Duffy | SFG | 3B | 6.5 |
| Yadier Molina | STL | C | 6.5 |
| Christian Yelich | MIA | LF | 5.8 |
| A.J. Pollock | ARI | CF | 5.4 |
| Zack Greinke | LAD | P | 5.4 |
| Dee Gordon | MIA | 2B | 5.2 |
| Todd Frazier | CIN | 3B | 4.9 |
| Bryce Harper | WSN | RF | 4.9 |
To view full SDI results from the 2014 season, click here. To view the 2014 Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners, click here.
The winners of 2014 Rawlings Platinum Glove Awards presented by SABR were: St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina and Kansas City left fielder Alex Gordon. Click here to learn more about the Rawlings Platinum Glove Award, presented by SABR.
About SABR
The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering research and disseminating the history and record of baseball. Founded in 1971, SABR has more than 6,300 members worldwide and has established itself as a vibrant baseball community and a premier distributor of ground-breaking baseball information. SABR features 70 regional chapters and more than two dozen research committees, and produces three annual publications – two editions of The Baseball Research Journal and The National Pastime – in addition to other print and e-books. SABR also hosts two annual events: the National Convention each summer, and the SABR Analytics Conference in March in Phoenix. For more information about SABR, visit SABR.org.
About the Rawlings Gold Glove Award®
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award® is a registered trademark owned by Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. The award is correctly identified as the Rawlings Gold Glove Award. The name should not be shortened, abbreviated or otherwise misused. Proper identification of this service mark using the registration symbol and the Rawlings name is important to protect the integrity of the program and perpetuate this worthy tradition. For more information, please visit www.rawlingsgoldglove.com.
About Rawlings
Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. is an innovative manufacturer and marketer of sporting goods worldwide. Founded in 1887, Rawlings is an authentic global sports brand, trusted by generations of athletes from the sandlot to the pros. Rawlings’ unparalleled quality and expert craftsmanship are the fundamental reasons why more athletes choose Rawlings, and why Rawlings is the Official Batting Helmet and Ball Supplier of Major League Baseball®, the official baseball of Minor League Baseball™ and the NCAA®, and the approved baseball, basketball, football and softball of the National High School Federation®. For more information, please visit www.rawlings.com or by call (314) 819-2800.
Originally published: September 18, 2015. Last Updated: September 18, 2015.