Votto, Smoak among Rawlings Gold Glove Award finalists
Joey Votto (Etobicoke, Ont.) was named one of three Gold Glove finalists among National League first basemen.
October 25, 2018
2018 Rawlings Gold Glove Award Finalists Announced
Official Press Release from Rawlings
By Mike Rains
Rawlings Sports Goods Co., Inc.
ST. LOUIS, MO – October 25, 2018 – Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc., announced today the finalists for the 2018 Rawlings Gold Glove Award, honoring the best individual fielding performances at each position in the American League and National League. The winners will be unveiled during a live, one-hour “Baseball Tonight – The 2018 Rawlings Gold Glove Award Announcement Show” on ESPN Sunday, November 4, 2018, at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT. The show will be hosted Karl Ravich alongside with Eduardo Perez.
While the award originated in 1957, Rawlings first began highlighting the top-three defenders at each position in 2011. Since then, only two players have been named a Rawlings Gold Glove Award finalist each year: Kansas City left fielder Alex Gordon and St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina.
A number of players are vying for the designation as the best defender at their respective positions. The Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves lead all teams with five finalists each. The longest, active consecutive streak of Rawlings Gold Glove Award wins belongs to the Colorado Rockies’ Nolan Arenado with five.
Each manager and up to six coaches on his staff vote from a pool of qualified players in their League, and cannot vote for players from their own team. In 2013, Rawlings added a sabermetric component to the Rawlings Gold Glove Award selection process, as part of its collaboration with the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). The SABR Defensive Index comprises approximately 25 percent of the overall selection total, with the managers and coaches’ vote continuing to carry the majority.
The 2018 Rawlings Gold Glove Award finalists are:
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Pos Player 2018 Team
Pitcher
Corey Kluber Cleveland Indians
Dallas Keuchel Houston Astros
Masahiro Tanaka New York Yankees
Catcher
Yan Gomes Cleveland Indians
Martin Maldonado Los Angeles Angels / Houston Astros
Salvador Perez Kansas City RoyalsTM
First Base
Justin Smoak Toronto Blue Jays
Matt Olson Oakland Athletics
Mitch Moreland Boston Red Sox
Second Base
Jed Lowrie Oakland Athletics
Ian Kinsler Los Angeles Angels / Boston Red Sox
Rougned Odor Texas Rangers
Third Base
3B Alex Bregman Houston Astros
Jose Ramirez Cleveland Indians
Matt Chapman Oakland Athletics
Shortstop
Marcus Semien Oakland Athletics
Andrelton Simmons Los Angeles Angels
Francisco Lindor Cleveland Indians
Left Field
Brett Gardner New York Yankees
Alex Gordon Kansas City Royals
Andrew Benintendi Boston Red Sox
Centre Field
CF Adam Engel Chicago White Sox
Mike Trout Los Angeles Angels
Jackie Bradley, Jr. Boston Red Sox
Right Field
Kole Calhoun Los Angeles Angels
Mookie Betts Boston Red Sox
Aaron Judge New York Yankees
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Pos Player 2018 Team
Pitcher
Julio Teheran Atlanta Braves
Zack Greinke Arizona Diamondbacks
Clayton Richard San Diego Padres
Catcher
Buster Posey San Francisco Giants
Yadier Molina St. Louis Cardinals
Manny Pina Milwaukee Brewers
First Base
Joey Votto Cincinnati Reds
Freddie Freeman Atlanta Braves
Anthony Rizzo Chicago Cubs
Second Base
DJ LeMahieu Colorado Rockies
Kolten Wong St. Louis Cardinals
Javier Baez Chicago Cubs
Third Base
Nolan Arenado Colorado Rockies
Anthony Rendon Washington Nationals
Travis Shaw Milwaukee Brewers
Shortstop
Freddy Galvis San Diego Padres
Brandon Crawford San Francisco Giants
Nick Ahmed Arizona Diamondbacks
Left Field
Christian Yelich Milwaukee Brewers
Corey Dickerson Pittsburgh Pirates
Adam Duvall Cincinnati Reds / Atlanta Braves
Centre Field
Billy Hamilton Cincinnati Reds
Lorenzo Cain Milwaukee Brewers
Ender Inciarte Atlanta Braves
Right Field
Jon Jay Kansas City Royals / Arizona Diamondbacks
Jason Heyward Chicago Cubs
Nick Markakis Atlanta Braves
The 2018 finalists include 11 former Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners in the American League and 12 former winners in the National League.
Following the ESPN announcement telecast on Nov. 4th, voting for the Rawlings Platinum Glove AwardTM presented by SABR will begin online at www.rawlings.com. The voting will open at 10 p.m. Eastern Time and will remain open until Thursday, Nov. 8th at 10 p.m. Eastern Time. The public can vote to weigh in as to who is “The Finest in the Field” in both the American League and National League. Fans can only select one player among the 2018 Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners from each League.
A combination of the national fan vote and the SABR Defensive Index will determine who takes home the honor of each League’s top defensive player.
The Rawlings Platinum Glove Award winners will be unveiled during the 2018 Rawlings Gold Glove Award Ceremony on Friday, November 9, 2018.
About the Rawlings Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award is a registered trademark owned by Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. The award is correctly identified as the Rawlings Gold Glove Award. The name should not be shortened, abbreviated or otherwise misused. Proper identification of this service mark using the registration symbol and the Rawlings name is important to protect the integrity of the program and perpetuate this worthy tradition. For more information, please visit www.rawlings.com.
About Rawlings
Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. is an innovative manufacturer and marketer of sporting goods worldwide. Founded in 1887, Rawlings is an authentic global sports brand, trusted by generations of athletes of all skill levels. Rawlings’ unparalleled quality, innovative engineering and expert craftsmanship are the fundamental reasons why more professional athletes, national governing bodies and sports leagues choose Rawlings. Rawlings is the Official Ball Supplier and Batting Helmet of Major League Baseball, the official baseball of Minor League Baseball and the NCAA, and the approved baseball, basketball, football and softball of the National High School Federation. For more information, please visit Rawlings.com or by phone at (314) 819-2800.