The 2022 Rawlings Gold Glove Award finalists were announced Thursday, with winners to be unveiled during a one-hour, special edition broadcast of “Baseball Tonight” on Nov. 1 at 5 pm ET, airing on ESPN prior to Game 4 of the 2022 World Series.
There are three finalists per league at each position, including the newly established utility spot, the addition of which was announced last month.
To determine the winners at the nine standard positions, the 30 MLB managers and up to six coaches from each team vote from a pool of players in their league, excluding players from their own team. These votes comprise 75% of the selection total, with the SABR Defensive Index counting for the other 25%.
For the utility position, Rawlings collaborated with SABR to create a specialized defensive formula separate from the traditional selection process.
Here are the 2022 Gold Glove Award finalists:
Already a one-time Gold Glove Award winner as a center fielder, Bradley could now win one in right field. Kepler, who led all right fielders with 12 Outs Above Average, and Tucker (5 OAA) are each looking for their first win.
Taylor is trying to become the first back-to-back AL Gold Glove Award winner in center field since Kevin Kiermaier won two straight in 2015-16. The 31-year-old led all center fielders with 19 defensive runs saved, but Straw was close behind in DRS (17) and actually outperformed Taylor significantly in OAA, 13 to 5, while tying for second in MLB with 12 outfield assists. Mullins finished with 8 OAA and 9 assists.
The retirement of eight-time Gold Glove Award-winning left fielder Alex Gordon after the 2020 season opened the door for Benintendi to win his first Gold Glove a year ago, and he’s looking to make it two in a row. He has some tough competition in Kwan, who led all left fielders with 12 OAA as a rookie, and Marsh. The bearded 24-year-old is now patrolling center field for the Phillies, but he spent the first four months as the Angels’ starting left fielder and finished 2022 with 8 OAA in left.
Chapman has been the AL’s preeminent defender at the hot corner for the past half-decade, and that didn’t change when the veteran was traded from the A’s to the Blue Jays in March. He’s looking for his fourth Gold Glove Award in the past five seasons, with Ramírez and Urías both vying for their first Gold Glove nods. Primarily a middle infielder in 2021, Urías tied for the lead among AL third basemen with 7 Outs Above Average.
It’s possible the man who replaced Correa at shortstop in Houston could be the one who prevents him from winning a second straight Gold Glove Award. Peña didn’t take long to establish himself as an elite defensive shortstop as a rookie, leading AL shortstops with 15 defensive runs saved. Bogaerts is in the mix as well after making great strides with the glove in 2022. The veteran finished with 5 OAA, logging a positive number for the first time since 2017.
After moving from shortstop to second base last season and winning his first career Gold Glove Award, Semien could make it two in a row in 2022. The AL hasn’t had a second baseman win consecutive Gold Gloves since Dustin Pedroia in 2013-14. Also in the running are Schoop and Giménez, who finished first and second at the position, respectively, in Outs Above Average. Schoop’s 27 OAA led all MLB players.
With four Gold Glove Awards and a Platinum Glove under his belt, Rizzo is the established name here. Guerrero, a former third baseman who once seemed destined to end up as a full-time designated hitter, has become a reliable defender at first base. Arraez, the AL batting champion, did not have a single appearance at first base prior to 2022, but he played there more than anywhere else this past season and held his own.
Eyeing his second straight Gold Glove Award, Murphy is the total package behind the plate, with a strong arm, quick reflexes and excellent framing skills. He’s up against two elite pitch-framers in Trevino, who led all backstops in framing runs saved, and Raleigh, who tied for fourth. Trevino (first) and Raleigh (third) also ranked in the top three among catchers in defensive runs saved.
After Dallas Keuchel won five of the eight AL Gold Glove Awards on the mound from 2014-21, we’re guaranteed to have a first-time winner in 2022, whether it’s Berríos, Bieber or Taillon who takes the trophy.
LeMahieu is a three-time Gold Glove Award winner at second base, but 2022 marked the first time he made more appearances at another position than he did at second. The veteran was a positive defensive presence at third base (5 OAA), first base (2 OAA) and second base (2 OAA) for the Yankees. Merrifield bounced between second base and the outfield again this season and finished with 5 OAA — 3 at second, 1 in center and 1 in right. Rengifo saw regular playing time for the first time in his career, logging most of his appearances at second base but also filling in at third base and shortstop for the Angels.
Betts won five straight Gold Glove Awards — four in Boston and one in Los Angeles — before that streak ended a year ago. He has his work cut out for him in 2022, however. Varsho has spent 82 MLB games at catcher since arriving in 2020, including 31 this season. Despite that, he still had the athleticism to not only play the outfield (including 54 games in center) but tied for the MLB lead among outfielders with 17 Outs Above Average.
While Grisham’s bat slumped in 2022 — at least until the playoffs — his glove did not. He led MLB with 17 Outs Above Average in center and now will look to win the Gold Glove for the second time in the past three seasons. This would be the first such honor for Robles and Thomas, a rookie who debuted in May and gives Arizona a finalist at each outfield spot.
Peralta, who won an NL Gold Glove Award in 2019, gets the nod here even though he finished the season in the AL following a trade to Tampa Bay. Yelich has also won before, although not since 2014 with the Marlins. Happ, who had played a lot of center field in the past, was almost exclusively a left fielder in 2022, when he earned his first All-Star selection.
The NL is so loaded with slick-fielding third basemen that Manny Machado didn’t even make the cut here. Instead, it’s Hayes and McMahon who will try to dethrone Arenado, who has won this award in each of his previous nine Major League seasons. With one more, he’ll tie Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt for the second-highest total at the hot corner, behind only Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson’s 16. McMahon has capably stepped into Arenado’s shoes in Colorado, while the 25-year-old Hayes looks like he will be a factor for this award for many years to come.
This field of finalists is completely different from last year’s, and one of these three will become a first-time winner. Swanson easily led MLB shortstops with 20 Outs Above Average. Kim and Rojas were both stellar as well, with the former stepping in for the injured and suspended Fernando Tatis Jr. and helping lift the Padres into the playoffs.
Edman was the NL winner a year ago, although he actually played slightly more innings at shortstop this season. His versatility is reflected in the fact that he’s also a candidate at the new utility spot. (See below). He has two NL West challenges in Cronenworth and Rodgers, a former shortstop prospect who seems to have found a home at second with the Rockies.
Also a top candidate for the NL MVP Award, Goldschmidt has a shot at his fifth Gold Glove Award at first base, which would make him only the ninth player to collect at least that many. He’s also the reigning winner here. However, Olson was a two-time winner in the AL with the A’s, who traded him to Atlanta last offseason. Meanwhile, Walker quietly led all MLB first basemen in Statcast’s Outs Above Average metric this season by a wide margin.
The NL hasn’t had back-to-back winners at catcher since Yadier Molina’s run from 2008-15, and that will continue this year, with 2021 winner Jacob Stallings not a finalist. Realmuto is the only one of these three who is a previous winner (2019), although it’s perhaps surprising that he doesn’t already have multiple Gold Gloves given his well-earned reputation behind the plate. In 2022, he led MLB catchers in average pop time and caught-stealing rate.
Fried has won this in both of the past two seasons and is looking to become the latest NL pitcher to put together a long streak. Zack Greinke won six straight from 2014-19, and prior to that, Hall of Famer Greg Maddux won all but once from 1990-2008. Fried will be challenged by Burnes, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, as well as the veteran Anderson, who excelled in his first season with the Dodgers.
Edman and Varsho were good enough this season to earn finalist spots at other positions, while their ability to play multiple spots on the field also made them utility finalists. They are joined by Donovan, a rookie who played every infield position and both corner-outfield spots. Donovan started at least 16 games apiece at second base (32), third base (21), right field (16) and left field (16).
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