Fourteen Players Win First Gold Gloves, Boost Off-Season Paydays

With an assist to their fielding prowess, the negotiating price has just gone up for Atlanta Braves teammates Dansby Swanson and Max Fried.

They were among the winners of Rawlings Gold Glove Awards announced Tuesday before Game 3 of the World Series.

For Swanson, who is set to test free agency for the first time this fall, his asking price has jumped – even though he’s part of a slew of sterling shortstops set to hit the open market five days after the end of the Houston-Philadelphia Fall Classic.

He led all National League players with 21 Outs Above Average. It was the first Gold Glove for Swanson, also a first time All-Star in 2022, but the third straight for Fried, a fellow Atlanta All-Star who is eligible for arbitration while free agency looms after the 2024 season.

In addition to Swanson, there were 13 other first-time recipients of the fielding award.

Postseason hero Bryce Harper, despite two MVP awards on his trophy shelf, was not one of them. His contract contains a clause promising a $50,000 bonus if he wins a Gold Glove but he spent most of 2022 as a designated hitter for the Phillies following injuries to his thumb and shoulder.

Still seeking his first fielding award, Harper is hardly the only player with a clause that brings a player a little extra gold for a Gold Glove. He’s certainly the most prominent, though, since he’s still playing even though the calendar has turned to November.

One who did win was Phillies teammate J.T. Realmuto, who led all catchers in caught-stealing percentage, nailing 44 per cent of would-be base-stealers, and topped the majors in that category for the second time.

The durable backstop, who also won a Gold Glove in 2019, is the only Phillies player to win the honor since shortstop Jimmy Rollins in 2012.

Two members of the Houston Astros, in the World Series for the second straight season, also won Gold Gloves for their defensive prowess in 2022.

They were rookie shortstop Jeremy Peña, who provided a smooth transition after the free-agent departure of Carlos Correa, and outfielder Kyle Tucker.

The first freshman shortstop to win a Gold Glove, Peña followed the lead of two earlier Astros shortstops, Correa and Roger Metzger.

Rounding out the National League Gold Glove infielders were first baseman Cristian Walker (Diamondbacks), second baseman Brendan Rodgers (Rockies), and Nolan Arenado (Cardinals), who won his 10th consecutive award at third base.

With 10 wins in 10 seasons, Arenado tied Phillies legend and Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt for the most NL Gold Gloves at the hot corner, trailing only Brooks Robinson, another Cooperstown denizen, who had 16. Arenado also tied the now-retired Ichiro Suzuki with 10 consecutive Gold Gloves in his first 10 seasons.

The National League outfield winners were Ian Happ (Cubs), Trent Grisham (Padres), and Mookie Betts (Dodgers) from left to right, though Betts may move to second base next season even after winning his sixth Gold Glove as an outfielder.

A new award – best defensive utility player – went to Brendan Donovan, a versatile rookie used in multiple positions by the St. Louis Cardinals. The American League winner in that category was Yankees veteran D.J. LeMahieu, who formerly won as a second baseman with the Colorado Rockies. It was his fourth Gold Glove.

The Yankees also had a winner behind the plate, where newcomer Jose Trevino won his first Gold Glove after arriving in a trade from the Texas Rangers. The third New York backstop to win the award, after Elston Howard and Thurman Munson, Trevino led all catchers with 21 defensive runs saved – third-most for any position – even though he played in just 115 games.

Although the Yankees defeated the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Division Series, the AL Central champions placed four players – more than any other team – on the 2022 Gold Glove team.

Outfielders Steven Kwan and Miles Straw, second baseman Andres Giménez, and pitcher Shane Bieber all won the trophies for defensive excellence. Like Pena and Donovan, Kwan is a rookie. This was the first year two Cleveland outfielders earned Gold Gloves.

Giménez, who made a smooth switch from shortstop was the third Cleveland second baseman to win the gold, following Roberto Alomar and César Hernández.

Other AL winners were Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. (Blue Jays) at first base and Ramón Urías (Orioles) at third – a position where Baltimore produced previous Gold Gloves for Robinson and Manny Machado.

A record nine first-timers took home Gold Gloves in the American League. The trio of rookie winners was also a record.

Before this year, the most first-time recipients in a single season of Gold Glove voting was 11, the total for 1958, the second year the award was given, and 2020.