Milwaukee Brewers

StaTuesday: Early defensive ratings for 2017 Milwaukee Brewers

Published Jul. 18, 2017 3:49 p.m. ET

Dave Heller

Improved hitting? Check. Improved pitching? Check. But when calculating the Milwaukee Brewers' success in 2017, don't forget about improved defense.

This past week, the Society of American Baseball Research (SABR) issued its first Defensive Index rankings (SDI) for the season, based on games played through July 9, and Milwaukee's players made a strong showing.

According to SABR, these rankings account for roughly 25 percent of the selection process used in determining each season’s Gold Glove winners and also contributes in determining Platinum Glove Award winners.

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

It might surprise you who is considered the best defensive player on the Brewers, at least according to the SDI. Orlando Arcia would be the logical choice (and a good one, as we shall see), but the Milwaukee player with the highest SDI is actually catcher Manny Pina.

Pina has a 5.2 SDI, which ranks third in the National League and fourth overall in MLB (former Brewer Martin Maldonado, now with the Los Angeles Angels, tops the list at 8.6). To compare Pina to Milwaukee's previous catcher, Jonathan Lucroy had a 3.0 SDI last year before being dealt to Texas, a -0.2 in 2015 and a 5.2 in 2014.

Pina's 5.2 SDI also ranks 14th among all NL position players. But he's not the only Brewers player to be in the top 25.

As expected, Arica ranks highly. The Brewers shortstop has a 4.0 SDI, placing him third among those at his position in the NL, behind Chicago's Addison Russell (6.1) and Miami's JT Riddle (6.0), and sixth overall among MLB shortstops. This is quite the upgrade over 2016, when Jonathan Villar had a -1.1 SDI at short.

Hernan Perez, who has played six positions for the Brewers in 2017, qualifies for only one in the SDI -- left field, where he's played 39 games (with 27 starts). Despite his limited action there, Perez has a 3.6 SDI, which is second in the National League only to Miami's Marcell Ozuna is 23rd overall in the NL.

Milwaukee has a wealth of defensive prowess at first base as both Jesus Aguilar (1.5) and Eric Thames (0.1) are among the eight NL players at that position with a positive SDI.

The Brewers also have two qualifying pitchers with a plus-SDI: Chase Anderson (1.0) and Zach Davies (1.3). Jimmy Nelson is also rated at a -1.1 … hey, it's an upgrade over last year's NL-worst (among pitchers) -3.2.

Travis Shaw also comes in with a 0.7 SDI, one of eight third baseman in the NL with a positive rating.

At other positions, the news isn't as … positive. Catcher Jett Bandy is rated with a -4.1 (Steven Vogt had a -6.3 with Oakland), second baseman Villar has a -2.1, left fielder Ryan Braun -3.3, right fielder Domingo Santana -1.1 and center fielder Keon Broxton a, yikes, -6.0 (he's still not the worst fielding center fielder; San Francisco's Denard Span is at -6.2 and Pittsburgh's Andrew McCutchen -7.5).

But overall, Milwaukee ranks among the better defensive teams in this system, with six positions yielding players with positive SDIs -- including two with multiple players (pitcher, first base).

Dave Heller is the author of Ken Williams: A Slugger in Ruth's Shadow, Facing Ted Williams - Players From the Golden Age of Baseball Recall the Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived and As Good As It Got: The 1944 St. Louis Browns