Here Are Your American League Gold Glove Nominees And My Picks
As we enter the last few games of the baseball season, that means a few things. We will crown a new MLB Champion, and it’s almost award season. The Hank Aaron Award, given to the best offensive player in each league, was given out earlier this week to David Ortiz and Kris Bryant. We have the Silver Slugger awards being announced on November 10th, Rookie Of The Year awards being handed out on November 14th, Manager Of The Year being given out on November 15th, Cy Young awards being given out November 16th, and MVPs handed out on November 17th. The Gold Glove nominees were announced yesterday, but won’t be given out until November 8th, so let’s take a look at the nominees. Just a heads up, I’m not an analytics guy, don’t get in my ear about the projected zone that a center fielder can cover, or a total UZR multiplied by a guys EWH. We see what these guys can do with the leather, and it’s impressive as hell, I don’t need a computer telling me Robinson Cano is good at fielding.
Catcher - James McCann (Detroit), Salvador Perez (Kansas City), Carlos Perez (Los Angeles)
Nice of McCann and Carlos Perez to show up, but for the fourth year in a row, Salvador Perez should win this award. If Sal wins it, that means that only 3 people have won the AL GG at catcher over the last nine years, Joe Mauer won from 2008-2010, Matt Wieters won in 2011 and 2012, and Sal Perez took it home in 2013-2015, looking to add 2016. McCann came on strong with a good defensive year (27 CS, 4 Passed balls, only 4 errors in 99 games behind the plate) but Perez is just too good. 37 caught stealing to lead the league (48%), 4 errors in 128 games, and only 5 wild pitches. Salvador Perez wins another in my book.
First Base- Chris Davis (Baltimore), Eric Hosmer (Kansas City), Mitch Moreland (Texas)
Hosmer has won the last three GG awards in the A.L, but I think that reign is coming to a close. With no bias’ here, I expect Chris Davis to bring home the hardware. Davis was unreal at first this season. His picks were great, he makes all the plays with his glove, he knows how to stretch to help Manny get that throw there, he’s turned into a great defender. Mitch Moreland is a lot like Davis, bigger guy, but nifty with the glove, he is surprisingly a good defender. I’d put money on Davis winning his first.
Second Base - Dustin Pedroia (Boston), Robinson Cano (Seattle), Ian Kinsler (Detroit)
What a talented group this is. You could have thrown in Jason Kipnis, Jonathan Schoop, Devon Travis is he was healthy, just an insanely deep pool of players. But these top three guys are good. Pedroia has won four and played on a torn meniscus in the second half, yet still made some great plays. Cano just makes everything look so damn smooth, never rushes his throws, and has a rocket. Ian Kinsler isn’t always known for his glove, but showed it this year. These guys were also top 3 in defensive runs saved. I think Cano adds another trophy to his trophy case. This may be the closest race out of all the positions.
Shortstop – Francisco Lindor (Cleveland), Andrelton Simmons (Los Angeles), Jose Iglesias (Detroit)
All around studs here. Iglesias has really come on strong as a defender in Detroit, forming a solid double play combo with Kinsler. Lindor has quietly replaced Carlos Correa as the best young shortstop in the AL, and people are finally getting to see what a great all-around player he is in this playoff run. He did have 12 errors, but he ranked second in the AL in runs saved with 17, only behind Simmons. Simmons is easily the best, yes he had 10 errors, but his range is unreal, I remember several plays in the Orioles series where I was sure the ball was dropping, only for him to somehow come up with it. He has an amazing arm, and is one of the best defenders at any position we have seen in a while. Simmons takes home yet another Gold Glove. It’s nice to see there are actually good fielding shortstops now, and they don’t just hand the award to a shitty fielder like Derek Jeter now.
Third Base- Adrian Beltre (Texas), Kyle Seager (Seattle), Manny Machado (Baltimore)
Since 2011, these are the only guys to bring home the Gold Glove in the AL. Beltre has been around forever, and his four Gold Gloves will follow him to Cooperstown one day. It’s kind of crazy that at his age, he can still be mentioned with the best defenders. Seager is another younger guy who has had a great year, despite his 22 errors. He tied for first with Beltre for defensive runs saved with 15. You know I have to go with Manny here. He had seven errors at the hot corner, and again, the plays we have seen him make are just unreal. He makes these plays in his sleep it looks like. So calm and collected, his arm strength is stupid good, watching him throw from a knee, his butt, foul territory, just doesnt seem fair. Plays that other guys can’t get to, he makes them look routine as hell. One of the best fielders we will see at this position, enjoy what you are watching, folks. I think Manny brings home a third Gold Glove.
Left Field - Brett Gardner (New York), Colby Rasmus (Houston), Alex Gordon (Kansas City)
Probably the most boring group here, Gordon is widely known as the best overall defender in this group, but he missed a good chunk of the season, and I’m not sure if him only having four defensive runs saved can win him his fifth Gold Glove. Brett Gardner has always been a good fielder with a garbage arm, nothing has changed. He has 12 defensive runs saved this season, but three errors in over 1,200 innings is impressive. I think Rasmus wins his first Gold Glove this season though, he had 14 defensive runs saved in half the innings that Gardner had, and didn’t commit a single error in the outfield all season. Congrats you ugly SOB.
Center Field - Jackie Bradley Jr (Boston), Kevin Kiermaier (Tampa), Kevin Pillar (Toronto)
I am very familiar with all of these guys, and have seen them all make some insane plays against the Orioles. It’s insane to watch what these guys do when the ball is in the air. Kiermaier suffered a nasty broken wrist early on that I figured would keep him out for the year, wrong. He still was one of the best defenders at any position, and it seemed like the wrist injury didn’t even bother him. He makes going up over the wall to get a ball back look so easy, it’s crazy. 25 runs saved in 870 innings doesn’t seem possible. It seems like Pillar makes 2-3 plays a week where you find yourself going “How did he get his glove under that?”. He’s a freak to watch in the field, and knows how to play the ball off that bouncy turf up North, and he had 21 defensive runs saved. JBJ may the strongest arm out of any outfielder in the league. People just don’t run on him, and if they do, they are dumb. He covers an insane amount of ground, and you rarely see him take a bad route. He also had 11 defensive runs saved. I have to give it to Kiermaier, he is just too good. I think any three of them could win it and you would be okay with it.
Right Field - Mookie Betts (Boston), Adam Eaton (Chicago), George Springer (Houston)
Another insanely talented pool of players. Mookie Betts started as a second baseman and has made the transition to RF look very easy. Right field at Fenway isn’t easy, but Mookie makes it look that way. One error in 157 games, and he saved 32 runs, 32. His arm is crazy strong, and some of the diving catches he makes in that short corner and insane. He may take a Gold Glove home with his soon to be MVP trophy. Eaton never gets talked about, but is another great defender. 23 runs saved, a fantastic throwing arm (15 assists), and is never afraid to lay out for a catch. Springer has some strides to make to be in the conversation with these guys, but he’s a great young talent who should be exciting to watch insight for a while. This one really is a toss up between Betts and Eaton, but I think Mookie takes it.
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Pitcher - R.A. Dickey (Toronto), Dallas Keuchel (Houston), Justin Verlander (Detroit)
Keuchel has won it a few times, and Dickey has one. Verlander and Dickey both had one error, and Keucehl had none, so I guess I’ll go with Dallas.
Look out for the National League nominees and my picks coming later today. Shoot me a tweet and let me know who you think got shafted and left out, or who you think will win. @BarstoolRDT