MLB awards season kicked off on Sunday with the announcement of the 2021 Gold Glove winners. The Los Angeles Dodgers were represented by Mookie Betts, Max Muncy and AJ Pollock, but each fell short of taking home hardware.
Muncy, who looked to win his first career Gold Glove Award at first base, was a runner-up to Paul Goldschmidt. Goldschmidt earned his fourth career honor and was one of five St. Louis Cardinals players to win a Gold Glove, which set a new MLB record.
Tyler O’Neill also was part of the group, who added a second straight Gold Glove to his collection after besting Pollock and David Peralta in left field.
As for Betts, his streak of five consecutive Gold Glove Awards was snapped by Atlanta Braves right fielder Adam Duvall, who led all players at the position with nine defensive runs saved.
Duvall was one of four first-time Gold Glove Award winners in the National League this season, along with Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Jacob Stallings, Cardinals second baseman Tommy Edman and Cardinals center fielder Harrison Bader.
First-time winners in the American League are Oakland Athletics catcher Sean Murphy, Houston Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel, Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Marcus Semien, Astros shortstop Carlos Correa, Kansas City Royals left fielder Andrew Benintendi and Royals center fielder Michael A. Taylor.
Meanwhile, Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado led the way by winning a ninth consecutive Gold Glove Award. Chicago White Sox pitcher Dallas Keuchel earned a fifth career honor, while San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford took home his fourth Gold Glove Award.
Gold Glove Award voting is conducted by managers and up to six coaches from each team. However, they are limited to voting within their own league and can’t choose players from their own teams.
These votes account for 75% of the selection process, while the remaining 25% is determined via the SABR Defensive Index. The latter measures the number of runs saved by a player’s defensive performance over the course of a season, compared to the average defensive player at that position.
National League Gold Glove Award winners
Pitcher: Max Fried, Atlanta Braves (second award)
Catcher: Jacob Stallings, Pittsburgh Pirates (first award)
First base: Paul Goldschmidt, St. Louis Cardinals (fourth award)
Second base: Tommy Edman, St. Louis Cardinals (first award)
Third base: Nolan Arenado, St. Louis Cardinals (ninth award)
Shortstop: Brandon Crawford, San Francisco Giants (fourth award)
Left field: Tyler O’Neill, St. Louis Cardinals (second award)
Center field: Harrison Bader, St. Louis Cardinals (first award)
Right field: Adam Duvall, Miami Marlins/Atlanta Braves (first award)
American League Gold Glove Award winners
Pitcher: Dallas Keuchel, Chicago White Sox (fifth award)
Catcher: Sean Murphy, Oakland Athletics (first award)
First base: Yuli Gurriel, Houston Astros (first award)
Second base: Marcus Semien, Toronto Blue Jays (first award)
Third base: Matt Chapman, Oakland Athletics (third award)
Shortstop: Carlos Correa, Houston Astros (first award)
Left field: Andrew Benintendi, Kansas City Royals (first award)
Center field: Michael A. Taylor, Kansas City Royals (first award)
Right field: Joey Gallo, Texas Rangers/New York Yankees (second award)
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