SABR Defensive Index rankings released through July 12, 2026
JULY 17, 2026 — New York Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger and San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman lead their respective leagues in the updated SABR Defensive Index™ rankings through Major League Baseball games of Sunday, July 12, 2026.
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.
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. SDI utilizes MLBAM’s Statcast, Sports Info Solutions data, and STATS Perform data as well as traditional statistics with advanced analysis.
The SABR Defensive Index accounts for approximately 25 percent of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award selection process that will be added to the votes from the managers and coaches.
Bellinger’s SDI of 10.7 leads all fielders in the AL, followed by a pair of Boston Red Sox teammates, right fielder Wilyer Abreu (8.4) and center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela (8.1). Houston Astros right fielder Cam Smith (7.1) and Red Sox third baseman Caleb Durbin (6.7) round out the top five.
Chapman’s SDI of 10.7 is the highest in the NL among all qualified defenders, ahead of Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (10.6), Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages (10.5), New York Mets catcher Luis Torrens (7.8), and Arizona Diamondbacks right fielder Corbin Carroll (7.1).
The updated SDI results were released today by the Society for American Baseball Research.
The final SDI results will be released following the conclusion of the 2026 season at SABR.org. The SDI is compiled by the SABR Defensive Committee, which includes former SABR Board President Vince Gennaro; Sean Forman of Baseball-Reference.com; Joe Rosales of Sports Info Solutions; Tom Tango, MLB’s Senior Data Architect; author and defensive metrics expert Chris Dial; and author Michael Humphreys.
Here are the top 25 players in each League, through games of July 12, 2026:
American League leaders
| Player | Team | Position | SDI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cody Bellinger | NYY | LF | 10.7 |
| Wilyer Abreu | BOS | RF | 8.4 |
| Ceddanne Rafaela | BOS | CF | 8.1 |
| Cam Smith | HOU | RF | 7.1 |
| Caleb Durbin | BOS | 3B | 6.7 |
| Bobby Witt Jr. | KCR | SS | 6.3 |
| Taylor Walls | TBR | SS | 5.7 |
| Maikel Garcia | KCR | 3B | 5.4 |
| Chandler Simpson | TBR | LF | 4.9 |
| Cole Young | SEA | 2B | 4.9 |
| Evan Carter | TEX | CF | 4.6 |
| Jarren Duran | BOS | LF | 4.3 |
| Zack Gelof | ATH | 3B | 3.9 |
| Tristan Peters | CHW | CF | 3.9 |
| Dillon Dingler | DET | C | 3.8 |
| Adley Rutschman | BAL | C | 3.8 |
| José Ramírez | CLE | 3B | 3.7 |
| Christian Walker | HOU | 1B | 3.7 |
| Austin Wells | NYY | C | 3.7 |
| Michael Massey | KCR | 2B | 3.4 |
| Willson Contreras | BOS | 1B | 3.2 |
| Steven Kwan | CLE | CF | 3.2 |
| Brandon Valenzuela | TOR | C | 3.1 |
| Jake Burger | TEX | 1B | 2.9 |
| Jac Caglianone | KCR | RF | 2.8 |
National League leaders
| Player | Team | Position | SDI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Chapman | SFG | 3B | 10.7 |
| Pete Crow-Armstrong | CHC | CF | 10.6 |
| Andy Pages | LAD | CF | 10.5 |
| Luis Torrens | NYM | C | 7.8 |
| Corbin Carroll | ARI | RF | 7.1 |
| Ty France | SDP | 1B | 6.5 |
| Geraldo Perdomo | ARI | SS | 6.2 |
| JJ Wetherholt | STL | 2B | 5.9 |
| Dansby Swanson | CHC | SS | 5.7 |
| Mookie Betts | LAD | SS | 5.4 |
| Brice Turang | MIL | 2B | 5.3 |
| TJ Rumfield | COL | 1B | 4.5 |
| Alex Bregman | CHC | 3B | 4.4 |
| Max Muncy | LAD | 3B | 4.4 |
| Alex Freeland | LAD | 2B | 4.2 |
| Matt Olson | ATL | 1B | 4.2 |
| Mauricio Dubón | ATL | LF | 4.0 |
| Brandon Lowe | PIT | 2B | 4.0 |
| Gabriel Moreno | ARI | C | 4.0 |
| Jacob Young | WSN | CF | 3.9 |
| Seiya Suzuki | CHC | RF | 3.8 |
| Joey Ortiz | MIL | SS | 3.7 |
| Ildemaro Vargas | ARI | 1B | 3.5 |
| Michael Harris II | ATL | CF | 3.4 |
| David Hamilton | MIL | 3B | 3.2 |
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 7,700 members worldwide and has established itself as a vibrant baseball community and a premier distributor of ground-breaking baseball information. SABR features more than 80 regional chapters and more than 30 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.Rawlings.com.
About Rawlings
Established in 1887, Rawlings is an innovative leading global brand and manufacturer of premium baseball and softball equipment, including gloves, balls, and protective headwear. Rawlings’ unparalleled quality, innovative engineering and expert craftsmanship are the fundamental reasons why more professional athletes, national governing bodies and sports leagues choose Rawlings. Rawlings is the Official Baseball, Helmet, Face Guard and Glove of Major League Baseball, the Official Baseball of Minor League Baseball and the Official Baseball and Softball of the NCAA and the NAIA. The company is headquartered in St. Louis. For more information, please visit www.Rawlings.com.
Originally published: July 17, 2026. Last Updated: July 17, 2026.