2018 Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners announced

For the sixth consecutive season, the SABR Defensive Index™ was used to help select the winners of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award and Rawlings Platinum Glove Award™, presented by SABR. The SABR Defensive Index accounts for approximately 25 percent of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award selection process that was added to the votes from the managers and coaches.

The 2018 Gold Glove winners were announced on ESPN’s “Baseball Tonight” on Sunday, November 4.

Click here to view the final SDI rankings for the 2018 season. 

Here are the winners of the 2018 Rawlings Gold Glove Awards, announced Sunday night:

Position AL winner Team Award     NL winner Team Award
P Dallas Keuchel HOU 4th     Zack Greinke ARI 5th
C Salvador Perez KCR 5th     Yadier Molina STL 9th
1B Matt Olson OAK 1st     F. Freeman/A. Rizzo ATL/CHC 1st/2nd
2B Ian Kinsler LAA/BOS 2nd     DJ LeMahieu COL 3rd
SS Andrelton Simmons LAA 4th     Nick Ahmed ARI 1st
3B Matt Chapman OAK 1st     Nolan Arenado COL 6th
LF Alex Gordon KCR 6th     Corey Dickerson PIT 1st
CF Jackie Bradley Jr. BOS 1st     Ender Inciarte ATL 3rd
RF Mookie Betts BOS 3rd     Nick Markakis ATL 3rd

 

The SDI is compiled by the SABR Defensive Committee, which includes SABR President Vince Gennaro; Sean Forman of Baseball-Reference.com; Ben Jedlovec, MLB’s Director of Engineering, Data Quality; SABR Director F.X. Flinn; author and defensive metrics expert Chris Dial; and author Michael Humphreys.

The SABR Defensive Index draws on and aggregates two types of existing defensive metrics: those derived from batted ball location-based data and those collected from play-by-play accounts. The three metrics representing batted ball data include Defensive Runs Saved from Baseball Info Solutions, Ultimate Zone Rating developed by noted sabermetrician Mitchel Lichtman, and Runs Effectively Defended based on STATS Zone Rating and built by SABR Defensive Committee member Chris Dial. The two metrics included in the SDI originating from play-by-play data are Defensive Regression Analysis, created by committee member Michael Humphreys, and Total Zone Rating.

Learn more about the SABR Defensive Index and view updated rankings at SABR.org/SDI.

 

Vote for Rawlings Platinum Glove Award winners:

In 2011, Rawlings introduced the Rawlings Platinum Glove Award to honor the best defender in each League among the Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners in each season.

The SDI’s ability to accurately compare players from different positions will help determine the updated Rawlings Platinum Glove Award, presented by SABR. Fans continue to have a voice during this process, and can cast their vote for the Rawlings Platinum Glove Award winners.

Chicago first baseman Anthony Rizzo and Cleveland shortstop Francisco Lindor won their respective league’s Rawlings Platinum Glove Award last season.

 



Originally published: November 4, 2018. Last Updated: November 4, 2018.