CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Guardians might have seen their season come to an end earlier than they had hoped, but their impressive outings in 2022 may not go without reward as five players have been named finalists for the 2022 Rawlings Gold Glove Award.
Here are the Guardians nominated for the award at their respective positions:
- Steven Kwan- Left Field
- Myles Straw- Center Field
- José Ramírez- Third Base
- Andrés Giménez- Second Base
- Shane Bieber- Pitcher
Kwan ends his remarkable rookie season with a nod for the prestigious award with standout performances in his 123 games in left field. His .991 fielding percentage is ranked second in the American League and his 224 putouts are ranked first. The rookie outfielder had previously earned AL Rookie of the Month Awards in April and September and was named the AL Player of the Week September 25 as well.
Straw earned the most putouts at center field in the AL this season with 371 and was ranked third in the AL in his fielding percentage with a .995.
Ramírez, who we learned has been playing with a broken hand since June, has made explosive plays from third base all year long. He ranked fourth in the AL in double plays turned at the position with 27.
Giménez has felt like a shoo-in for a Gold Glove all season with efforts that earned him a spot in the MLB All-Star game this year. His 226 putouts rank second in the AL, as do his 317 assists from the position. Giménez's Range Factor per nine innings, which assesses a player's defensive capabilities outside the realm of his fielding percentage, is ranked first in the AL at 4.55.
Bieber, the Guardians ace, certainly has impressed on the mound with his command and ability to strike guys out time and time again. But defensively, the pitcher has been impressive as well. His 15 putouts at pitcher rank second in the AL, as do his eight assists. Bieber's Range Factor per nine innings, which sits at 1.40, is the second-highest in the AL.
The Gold Glove Award, which has been given out since 1957, honors the best individual fielding performances at each position in the American League and National League.
To determine the winners of the 18 defensive position Awards, each team’s manager and up to six coaches on the staff vote from a pool of qualified players in their league and can't vote for players from their own team. The votes account for around 75% of the decision.
The SABR Defensive Index, a specialized defensive formula separate from the traditional selection process for the Rawlings Gold Glove Award position winners, accounts for around 25% of the selection.
The five Guardians players will learn if they've added some new hardware to their collection during a one-hour, special-edition “Baseball Tonight” broadcast on ESPN Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022 at 5 p.m.—before game four of the World Series.
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