Here are your 2017 Gold Glove finalists
With at least one questionable decision.
It’s that time of year! When Rawlings announces a bunch of Gold Glove finalists and you go “oh right, I only watched like three games of that guy’s season but he was pretty good this year,” or run to check on how many errors someone had who is in the same category as your favorite player.
And then the next day you forget the nominations happened until the winners are actually announced.
Being a Gold Glove finalist (or winning one) is a nice nod, and it can be a nice chunk of change if a player has a Gold Glove incentive built into their contract and thus gets a bonus as well as the honor.
Plus, then it’s like you’re the president, in that even when you are Derek Jeter, 100 years old and playing on half a leg, every chyron and announcer has to refer to you as a Gold Glove winner no matter what.
Here are this year’s crop of finalists, which fans are already arguing about, whether based on their local loyalties or perceived slights. Same as it ever was.
National League
Pitcher
R.A. Dickey - Atlanta Braves
Zack Greinke - Arizona Diamondbacks
Zach Davies - Milwaukee Brewers
Catcher
Buster Posey - San Francisco Giants
Yadier Molina - St. Louis Cardinals
Tucker Barnhart - Cincinnati Reds
1B
Joey Votto - Cincinnati Reds
Paul Goldschmidt - Arizona Diamondbacks
Anthony Rizzo - Chicago Cubs
2B
DJ LeMahieu - Colorado Rockies
Dee Gordon - Miami Marlins
Ben Zobrist - Chicago Cubs
3B
Nolan Arenado - Colorado Rockies
Anthony Rendon - Washington Nationals
David Freese - Pittsburgh Pirates
SS
Freddy Galvis - Philadelphia Phillies
Brandon Crawford - San Francisco Giants
Corey Seager - Los Angeles Dodgers
RF
Yasiel Puig - Los Angeles Dodgers
Giancarlo Stanton - Miami Marlins
Jason Heyward - Chicago Cubs
CF
Billy Hamilton - Cincinnati Reds
Michael Taylor - Washington Nationals
Ender Inciarte - Atlanta Braves
LF
Gerardo Parra - Colorado Rockies
Adam Duvall - Cincinnati Reds
Marcell Ozuna - Miami Marlins
American League
Pitcher
Chris Sale - Boston Red Sox
Marcus Stroman - Toronto Blue Jays
Alex Cobb - Tampa Bay Rays
Catcher
Yan Gomes - Cleveland Indians
Martin Maldonado - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Salvador Perez - Kansas City Royals
1B
Carlos Santana - Cleveland Indians
Eric Hosmer - Kansas City Royals
Mitch Moreland - Boston Red Sox
2B
Brian Dozier - Minnesota Twins
Ian Kinsler - Detroit Tigers
Dustin Pedroia - Boston Red Sox
3B
Manny Machado - Baltimore Orioles
Jose Ramirez - Cleveland Indians
Evan Longoria - Tampa Bay Rays
SS
Elvis Andrus - Texas Rangers
Andrelton Simmons - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Francisco Lindor - Cleveland Indians
RF
Kole Calhoun - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Mookie Betts - Boston Red Sox
Aaron Judge - New York Yankees
CF
Lorenzo Cain - Kansas City Royals
Kevin Pillar - Toronto Blue Jays
Byron Buxton - Minnesota Twins
LF
Brett Gardner - New York Yankees
Alex Gordon - Kanas City Royals
Justin Upton - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Other than The Ghost of Ben Zobrist somehow meriting a nomination, these aren’t too wonky. There have been worse lists in the history of the award. There’s a few probably guaranteed wins — Aaron Judge, Dee Gordon, Nolan Arenado — and a few closer races, but all in all it’s a solid list.
Do you agree or disagree with this year’s nominations list?
