Rawlings announced on Thursday the finalists for the 2016 Rawlings Gold Glove Awards and three Colorado Rockies made the cut. Nolan Arenado, DJ LeMahieu and Carlos Gonzalez are among the National League finalists for the top fielding award in Major League Baseball.
Both Arenado and LeMahieu should be considered the prohibitive favorites at their positions.
Arenado is the reigning, three-time winner of the award at third base and although his .973 fielding percentage is only second in the National League among qualified players, trailing Anthony Rendon at .976, his 2.3 defensive wins above replacement is more than double Rendon’s 1.1. Arenado also produced his numbers on 102 more chances. His range factor was a MLB-best 3.12 at third base. Arenado logged a career-high 1,377.1 innings with only 13 errors – the second-lowest total of his career. Justin Turner was also named a finalist.
LeMahieu is in the running for his second Gold Glove, having won the prize at second base in 2014. Like Arenado, LeMahieu’s fielding percentage ranks second in the NL among qualified players and his range factor was the best in the NL. He also fielded more than 100 more chances than his primary competition for the award, San Francisco’s Joe Panik. Arizona’s Jean Segura was also named a finalist.
LeMahieu also had a career best season defensively, matching his .991 fielding percentage from the 2014 season, while playing 63 more innings and fielding 28 more chances.
Gonzalez, a three-time Gold Glove winner (2010, ’12, ’13), is a bit of a surprise candidate for the Rockies, having finished the 2016 campaign with a .989 fielding percentage (fifth among qualified players) and a negative defensive WAR. The veteran right-fielder was named an All-Star in 2016 and made just three errors on 262 total chances.
The winners will be announced after the conclusion of the 2016 World Series.
