San Francisco Giant: Three Giants Win National League Gold Gloves
After a stellar defensive season for the San Francisco Giants, three of their own have won National League Gold Gloves.
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Tuesday was the opening of free agency in Major League Baseball, and while most of the focus went there, the best defenders from the 2016 season were also recognized. Among the 18 Gold Glove awards that were handed out, three were given to San Francisco Giants.
At backstop, Giants’ catcher Buster Posey knocked off the eight-time defending Gold Glover Yadier Molina to take home the honor for the first time. Posey is the Giants’ first Gold Glove catcher since Mike Matheny in 2005, and third overall along with Kirt Manwaring (1993). He’s the first catcher not named Molina to win NL Gold Glove since 2007, when the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Russell Martin won it.
While Molina had maybe his worst season, Posey put together what was probably his best. He led all NL catchers with 12 defensive runs saved and was second with an 11.2 defensive rating. He allowed two passed balls, the lowest total in the league, and threw out a career-high 37 percent of would-be base stealers.
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Shortstop Brandon Crawford was also honored, garnering his second consecutive Gold Glove. He beat out fellow finalists Addison Russell of the Chicago Cubs and Freddy Galvis of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Crawford led all National League defenders with a 28 defensive rating and a 21.3 UZR. His 19 defensive runs saved was tied for second in the NL, alongside Russell. Crawford is the second Giants’ shortstop to win consecutive Gold Gloves, joining Omar Vizquel, who won in 2005 and 2006. Vizquel also won once with the Seattle Mariners and eight times with the Cleveland Indians. Crawford and Vizquel are the only Giants’ shortstop to earn Gold Gloves.
Second baseman Joe Panik joined his double-play partner in topping voting for the Gold Glove. This is Panik’s first career Gold Glove, and he becomes the second Giants’ second baseman to win, joining Robby Thompson in 1993.
Panik and Crawford are the 11th middle infield combination to win Gold Gloves in the same season. The last duo belonged to the New York Yankees, when Robinson Cano and Derek Jeter took the awards in 2010. The last NL duo was Edgar Renteria and Fernando Vina of the St. Louis Cardinals in 2002.
This is the ninth time since inception of Gold Glove awards in 1957 that multiple Giants’ players were named winners. Two Giants won in 1959, 1962, 1991, 1997, 1998, and 2005. Three Giants won in 1994, and four Giants won in 1993.
The Giants are the only team this year with three Gold Glove winners.
Next: Giants: 5 Big Questions Entering Offseason
Full Gold Glove winners:
National League:
C – Posey
1B – Anthony Rizzo, Chicago Cubs (1st)
2B – Panik
3B – Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies (4th)
SS – Crawford
LF – Starling Marte, Pittsburgh Pirates (2nd)
CF – Ender Inciarte, Atlanta Braves (1st)
RF – Jason Heyward, Chicago Cubs (4th)
P – Zack Greinke, Arizona Diamondbacks (3rd)
American League
C – Salvador Perez, Kansas City Royals (4th)
1B – Mitch Moreland, Texas Rangers (1st)
2B – Ian Kinsler, Detroit Tigers (1st)
3B – Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers (5th)
SS – Francisco Lindor, Cleveland Indians (1st)
LF – Brett Gardner, New York Yankees (1st)
CF – Kevin Miermaier, Tampa Bay Rays (2nd)
RF – Mookie Betts, Boston Red Sox (1st)
P – Dallas Keuchel, Houston Astros (3rd)