Local News

Three Dodgers, Two Angels Nominated As 2021 Gold Glove Award Finalists

October 29, 2021 / 1:31 AM PDT / KCAL News

click to expand

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - Rawlings has announced their 2021 Gold Glove Award Finalists.

As defined by MLB, "Given out since 1957, the Gold Glove honors the best defenders at each position in each league. Major League managers and coaches, voting only within their league and unable to vote for players on their own teams, account for 75 percent of the selection process. The other 25 percent goes to the sabermetrics community."

The winners will be announced on November 7, on ESPN.

Three Dodgers had their names announced with the other nominees on Thursday:

Max Muncy, 1B (First Career Nomination)

Muncy had a career year derailed just before the playoffs, in the final game of the season, when a collision at first base ended up in a dislocated elbow for Muncy. However, Muncy is not only on the Gold Glove radar, but the Silver Slugger radar as well. He was an All-Star for the second time this season, and his name was associated with the MVP conversation for much of the season - as recently as August 18, Las Vegas oddsmakers had him at third place behind Fernando Tatis, Jr. and Bryce Harper.

Muncy played 122 games at first base this season, sporting a nearly flawless fielding percentage at .998 - tied for first with the other two first base nominees. He had just two errors throughout that time, adding 771 putouts and 47 assists in those 901 innings of defense. It's also important to mention, he also played 29 games at second base, where he committed just one error over 254 innings played. Muncy was second in the entire league at first base in total zone runs, a statistic that measures how above or below average a player was worth based on the number of plays they made. Muncy finished the season as No. 15 on the SABR Defensive Index Rankings for all players, and first among all National League first basemen.

AJ Pollock - LF (Second Career Nomination, Won in 2015)

Pollock had his best season with the Dodgers yet, especially throughout the second half of the season, hitting .324 with nine homers and 36 RBIs over the final 53 games he played in. He also had career highs in slugging percentage and OPS. He finished the year without making a single error in the outfield (103 games in left field, 8 in center), adding four outfield assists and one double play to his season totals. He finished fourth in the Majors in Range Factor over Nine Innings, and fifth in Range Factor per Game for left fielders. Pollock finished the season ranked No. 4 on the SABR Defensive Index Rankings for National League left fielders.

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 14: Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts to a double off the outfield wall by Buster Posey #28 of the San Francisco Giants during the first inning in game 5 of the National League Division Series at Oracle Park on October 14, 2021 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Mookie Betts - RF (Sixth Career Nomination, Won from 2016-2020)

Betts had what you could call a "down year," by his standards. Even so, he is without a doubt one of the most crucial pieces on the Dodgers' roster. Betts still ended up with a .264 batting average, putting up 23 homers and 58 RBIs, a stat lineup most major leaguers would die for.

The man with the second-longest active Gold Glove Award Streak is looking for his seventh-straight this season. Mookie finished the year with a .987 fielding percentage in 98 games played in right field. He also took 30 games in center and seven at second base. He had three errors on the season, one in right field and two in center, and added one outfield assist. Betts finished the season at No. 7 on SABR Defensive Index Rankings for National League right fielders.

The Angels also had two players named as Finalists for the 2021 season:

Jared Walsh - 1B (First Career Nomination)

After two quiet years with the Angels to start his MLB career, Walsh flashed onto the scene in 2021. He earned his first All-Star nod, and finished the season with a .277 batting average, 29 homers and 98 RBIs. Walsh played 128 games at first base this season, adding 17 games in right field. While playing first, he managed a .995 fielding percentage, best for fifth in the league. He added 73 assists and partook in 96 double plays on the year, committing just five errors in 975 defensive chances. Walsh finished the season at No. 8 on SABR Defensive Index Rankings for American League first basemen.

ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 17: David Fletcher #22 of the Los Angeles Angels makes the out against Matt Chapman #26 of the Oakland Athletics in the sixth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on September 17, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

David Fletcher - 2B (Second Career Nomination)

Fletcher signed a five-year extension with the Angels to start the 2021 season, and for good reason. He has proven to be one of the MLB's most consistent players day in and day out throughout his brief career. Fletcher, never known for his power, is still one of the league's most consistent hitters, taking the MLB's longest hit-streak to 26 games this season. He also finished with the second-most singles (136) in the league and finished the year with a career-high 15 stolen bases.

He also added to his season with a stellar performance in the field. He finished the year with a .990 fielding percentage over 142 games played at second base (he also played 20 at shortstop) - the third-best fielding percentage among qualified fielders. He had 354 assists and 261 putouts and 86 double plays turned (also, all third-best in the league), and finished top five in Range Factor over Nine Innings and Range Factor per Game. Fletcher finished the season at No. 7 on SABR Defensive Index Rankings for American League second basemen.

The St. Louis Cardinals led the league in Finalists, with a grand total of six. The Houston Astros came in just behind them with five Finalists, while the Atlanta Braves and Kansas City Royals finished with four each.

Three teams from each league did not receive a Finalist nomination. Those teams from the American League are the Baltimore Orioles, the Texas Rangers and the Detroit Tigers. From the National League, the teams missing are the Miami Marlins, the Washington Nationals and the Cincinnati Reds.

Of the finalists, 25 have already secured at least one Gold Glove Award in their career, while 15 of those have won multiple. Yadier Molina (9), Nolan Arenado (8), Zack Greinke (6), Mookie Betts (5), Andrelton Simmon (4), and Kevin Kiermaier (3) are the active players with the most Gold Glove Awards at their respective positions.

Seven of the Finalists have also been awarded Platinum Glove Awards, given to the best defensive player in their league, regardless of position - Yadier Molina (2011, 2012, 2014, 2015), Manny Machado (2013), Andrelton Simmons (2013), Kevin Kiermaier (2015), Francisco Lindor (2016), Nolan Arenado (2017-2020) and Matt Chapman (2018-2019).

The Rawlings Gold Glove Award Finalists for 2021:

American League

Pitcher

Jose Berrios - Toronto Blue Jays (Second Career Nomination)
Zack Greinke - Houston Astros (Eighth Career Nomination, Won from 2014-2019)
Dallas Keuchel - Chicago White Sox (Fifth Career Nomination, Won from 2014-2016, 2018)

Catcher

Martin Maldonado - Houston Astros (Third Career Nomination, Won in 2017)
Sean Murphy - Oakland Athletics (First Career Nomination)
Salvador Perez - Kansas City Royals (Seventh Career Nomination, Won from 2013-2016, 2018)

First Base

Yuliesky Gurriel - Houston Astros (Third Career Nomination)
Matt Olson - Oakland Athletics (Fourth Career Nomination, Won 2018 & 2019)
Jared Walsh - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (First Career Nomination)

Second Base

David Fletcher - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (Second Career Nomination)
Whit Merrifield - Kansas City Royals (First Career Nomination)
Marcus Semien - Toronto Blue Jays (Third Career Nomination, First at Second Base)

Third Base

Matt Chapman - Oakland Athletics (Third Career Nomination, Won 2018 & 2019)
Jose Ramirez - Cleveland Indians (Third Career Nomination)
Joey Wendle - Tampa Bay Rays (First Career Nomination)

Shortstop

Carlos Correa - Houston Astros (Second Career Nomination)
J.P. Crawford - Seattle Mariners (Second Career Nomination, Won in 2020)
Andrelton Simmons - Minnesota Twins (Eighth Career Nomination, Won in 2013 & 2014, 2017 & 2018)

Left Field

Randy Arozarena - Tampa Bay Rays (First Career Nomination)
Andrew Benintendi - Kansas City Royals (Third Career Nomination)
Lourdes Gurriel, Jr. - Toronto Blue Jays (Second Career Nomination)

Center Field

Kevin Kiermaier - Tampa Bay Rays (Fifth Career Nomination, Won in 2015 & 2016, 2019)
Myles Straw - Cleveland Indians (First Career Nomination)
Michael A. Taylor - Kansas City Royals (Second Career Nomination)

Right Field

Hunter Renfroe - Boston Red Sox (Second Career Nomination)
Kyle Tucker - Houston Astros (Second Career Nomination)
Joey Gallo - New York Yankees (Second Career Nomination, Won in 2020)

National League