Major league baseball’s top defensive players were honored tonight as the 2018 Rawlings Gold Glove Awards were unveiled, and the Atlanta Braves and champion Boston Red Sox were well-represented, according to Major League Baseball . The Gold Glove Award winners are determined by a combination of votes from Major League managers and coaches and a sabermetric index provided by the Society For American Baseball Research (SABR). Each league awards a Gold Glove to one player from each defensive position, plus the fans vote for the Platinum Glove Award for baseball’s best overall defender.
The complete list of winners:
National League
- 1B- Anthony Rizzo, Chicago and Freddie Freeman, Atlanta (tied)
- 2B- D.J. LeMahieu, Colorado
- 3B- Nolan Arenado, Colorado
- SS- Nick Ahmed, Arizona
- LF- Corey Dickerson, Pittsburgh
- CF- Ender Inciarte, Atlanta
- RF- Nick Markakis, Atlanta
- C- Yadier Molina, St. Louis
- P- Zack Greinke, Arizona
American League
- 1B- Matt Olson, Oakland
- 2B- Ian Kinsler, Los Angeles/Boston
- 3B- Matt Chapman, Oakland
- SS- Andrelton Simmons, Los Angeles
- LF- Alex Gordon, Kansas City
- CF- Jackie Bradley Jr., Boston
- RF- Mookie Betts, Boston
- C- Salvador Pérez, Kansas City
- P- Dallas Keuchel, Houston
Give the king his crown. ?
RT to congratulate @NickAhmed13 on his 1st career Gold Glove! #SlickNick pic.twitter.com/8rxkwowEN1
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) November 5, 2018
St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina won his ninth Gold Glove Award, which trails only Iván Rodríguez (13) and Johnny Bench (10) at the position. Oakland infielders Matt Chapman and Matt Olson each won their first Gold Glove, joining Bradley Jr., Dickerson, Ahmed, and Freeman as first-time winners.
Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado set a record with the sixth straight Gold Glove Award to open his career, the only infielder in major league history to do so.
Three Atlanta Braves and three Boston Red Sox won Gold Glove Awards, tops in each league.
Some other notable facts about the 2018 winners:
- Arizona pitcher Zack Greinke won his fifth Gold Glove Award in a row.
- Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez did not make an error all season.
- Colorado second baseman D.J. LeMahieu led all National League defenders at any position in the SABR Defensive Index.
- Oakland third baseman Matt Chapman led all American League defenders at any position in the SABR Defensive Index and led the major leagues in Defensive Runs Saved.
- Atlanta center fielder Ender Inciarte won his third consecutive Gold Glove Award.
- Boston right fielder Mookie Betts also won his third Gold Glove Award in a row. Interestingly, Boston center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. — the man who pushed Mookie Betts to right field– won his first.
Fan voting for the Platinum Glove Award is now open at Rawlings .
