With all due respect to pitchers, who cannot contribute on a daily basis, Kevin Kiermaier will easily be the reason to watch Rays baseball this season.
Kevin Kiermaier is a generational talent. His only disappointment in a Rays uniform has been failing to reach the innings requirement to qualify for his third consecutive Gold Glove in 2017 due to time missed for a hairline fracture mid-year. And yet, so great is his defense that he nearly matched the winner Byron Buxton’s DRS total (24) despite missing two months of the season (KK ended the year with 22).
Since KK entered the league in 2014, no one has more Defensive Runs Saves in center field (Kiermaier has 90, the next highest is 52), nor does anyone have a better UZR/150 (min.