Brewers newcomers highlight 2020 defensive rankings

Every year, the Society of American Baseball (SABR) issues its Defensive Index rankings (SDI). This year, it was the sole determination for the Gold Glove awards – previously it accounted for 25%.

(The Defensive Index is compiled from different fielding metrics and incorporates a myriad of categories for a more detailed explanation, please click here).

Alas, this year, no Milwaukee Brewers were finalists — finishing in the top three of the SDI — for a Gold Glove.

The Brewers certainly missed Lorenzo Cain in center field — he won a Gold Glove in 2019 — who was second among National League center fielders with a 10.2 SDI.

Milwaukee’s defense, much like everything else during its 2020 season, was a mixed bag.

The biggest surprise might just be behind the plate. Omar Narvaez came to the Brewers with a reputation as a good hitter but shaky defensively. While he struggled at the bat, Narvaez had the most amazing defensive turnaround of 2020.

Last season with Seattle, Narvaez’s SDI was -11.2 — worst of any qualifying catcher in Major League Baseball. In the shortened 2020 season, he posted a 1.1, which tied for fifth highest among National League catchers. In fact, he was just one of six NL catchers to post a positive SDI. Narvaez tied for 11th overall among MLB catchers.

Another newcomer stood out among the Brewers — Luis Urias.

Qualifying at third base, where he played 30 games with 20 starts, Urias had a 1.9 SDI, which ranked fifth in the NL and ninth in MLB at that position. By the way, the player with the worst SDI in MLB was a third baseman – Boston’s Rafael Devers, who, at -7.4, was the only player at -7.0 or worse.

At first base, Jedd Gyorko, with 30 games and 26 starts, was Milwaukee’s only qualifier. He finished with a 0.0 SDI – which actually placed him fifth in the National League. The New York Mets, by the way, had two players qualify and both were in the negatives (Dominic Smith -1.9 and Pete Alonso -3.7).

Speaking of negatives …

Milwaukee’s keystone combination did not fare well in the SDI.

Shortstop Orlando Arcia had a -1.5, which was fourth worst in the NL (in 2019’s 162-game schedule he had a -3.8).

We know second baseman Keston Hiura is in the majors because of his bat. His -4.7 SDI was second lowest in the in the majors, with only Washington’s Luis Garcia at -6.7 coming in lower.

As mentioned, the outfield missed Cain.

Avisail Garcia was tied for the second-worst SDI among NL center fielders at -2.6 (three American Leaguers were worse, with, yes the Angels’ Mike Trout bringing up the rear at -4.9).

Christian Yelich’s struggles carried over to the outfield. In 2019, he had a 0.2 SDI, fifth among NL left fielders. In 2020, -4.5, with only Philadelphia’s Andrew McCutchen having a lower rating in the majors.

In right, Ben Gamel had a -0.8, which ranked eighth in the NL.

Milwaukee had three starting pitchers qualify – hey, last season it had none. Adrian Houser (-0.3) and Corbin Burnes (-0.1) were middle of the pack in the NL.

Brandon Woodruff, however, finished at 1.1, tied for fifth best in the NL and tied for sixth among all major-league pitchers.