The 2020 Cardinals were again one of the better defensive teams in baseball.
When trying to rank players or teams by defensive ability it is best to take an aggregate approach. There are flaws with every cumulative defensive metric in modern analytics. Sticking with one metric can sway results. Combining multiple metrics – like Fangraph’s DRS and UZR –paints a clearer picture.
As a unit, the Cards ranked first in baseball with 33 DRS and fifth with a 13.1 UZR. The only other team with comparable ratings in both categories was the Rays, with a 24 and 14.