SABR Defensive Index rankings released through August 28, 2022
SEPTEMBER 1, 2022 — Los Angeles right fielder Mookie Betts and New York catcher Jose Trevino lead their respective leagues in the updated SABR Defensive Index™ rankings through Major League Baseball games of Sunday, August 28, 2022.
For the 10th consecutive season, the SABR Defensive Index will be 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.
Betts’s SDI of 11.9 is the highest in the NL among all qualified defenders, ahead of Pittsburgh third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes (11.6) and St. Louis third baseman Nolan Arenado (10.7). Arizona first baseman Christian Walker (10.4) and Colorado second baseman Brendan Rogers (8.9) round out the top five.
Trevino’s SDI of 11.1 leads all fielders in the AL, followed by a pair of Cleveland outfielders, left fielder Steven Kwan (11.0) and center fielder Myles Straw (9.3). Houston shortstop Jeremy Peña (8.2) and New York third baseman Josh Donaldson (7.8) round out the top five.
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 2022 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; Mark Simon of Sports Info Solutions; Ben Jedlovec, MLB’s Senior Director, Baseball Data Platform Product; former 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 August 28, 2022:
NL leaders
| Player | Team | Position | SDI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mookie Betts | LAD | RF | 11.9 |
| Ke’Bryan Hayes | PIT | 3B | 11.6 |
| Nolan Arenado | STL | 3B | 10.7 |
| Christian Walker | ARI | 1B | 10.4 |
| Brendan Rodgers | COL | 2B | 8.9 |
| Nico Hoerner | CHC | SS | 7.6 |
| Tommy Edman | STL | 2B | 7.6 |
| Ha-Seong Kim | SDP | SS | 7.4 |
| Dansby Swanson | ATL | SS | 6.5 |
| J.T. Realmuto | PHI | C | 6.5 |
| Miguel Rojas | MIA | SS | 6.1 |
| Víctor Robles | WSN | CF | 6.0 |
| Connor Joe | COL | LF | 5.0 |
| Daulton Varsho | ARI | RF | 4.8 |
| Willy Adames | MIL | SS | 4.6 |
| Ryan McMahon | COL | 3B | 4.1 |
| Tyler Anderson | LAD | P | 4.0 |
| Trent Grisham | SDP | CF | 3.6 |
| Brendan Donovan | STL | 3B | 3.6 |
| Tomás Nido | NYM | C | 3.5 |
| Alek Thomas | ARI | CF | 3.5 |
| Ian Happ | CHC | LF | 3.1 |
| Rhys Hoskins | PHI | 1B | 3.1 |
| Dylan Carlson | STL | CF | 3.1 |
| Michael Harris | ATL | CF | 3.1 |
AL leaders
| Player | Team | Position | SDI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jose Trevino | NYY | C | 11.1 |
| Steven Kwan | CLE | LF | 11.0 |
| Myles Straw | CLE | CF | 9.3 |
| Jeremy Peña | HOU | SS | 8.2 |
| Josh Donaldson | NYY | 3B | 7.8 |
| Andrew Velazquez | LAA | SS | 7.3 |
| Ramón Urías | BAL | 3B | 7.1 |
| Adley Rutschman | BAL | C | 7.0 |
| Jonathan Schoop | DET | 2B | 6.9 |
| Cal Raleigh | SEA | C | 6.7 |
| Michael A. Taylor | KCR | CF | 6.7 |
| Kyle Tucker | HOU | RF | 6.3 |
| Andrés Giménez | CLE | 2B | 6.2 |
| Marcus Semien | TEX | 2B | 5.9 |
| Max Kepler | MIN | RF | 5.7 |
| Trevor Story | BOS | 2B | 5.5 |
| Brandon Marsh | LAA | LF | 5.3 |
| DJ LeMahieu | NYY | 3B | 5.1 |
| Alejandro Kirk | TOR | C | 4.6 |
| Julio Rodríguez | SEA | CF | 4.5 |
| Santiago Espinal | TOR | 2B | 4.0 |
| Xander Bogaerts | BOS | SS | 4.0 |
| Sean Murphy | OAK | C | 3.7 |
| Taylor Walls | TBR | SS | 3.6 |
| Jackie Bradley Jr. | BOS/TOR | RF | 3.6 |
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 7,000 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: September 1, 2022. Last Updated: September 9, 2022.