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Major League Baseball has announced its latest postseason award winners, presenting the American League and National League Platinum Gloves, the Team Gold Gloves, and the Heart & Hustle Award.
Platinum Glove Award Winners
According to sports.yahoo.com, New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger earned the AL Platinum Glove, while Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong captured the NL honor. The award combines defensive statistical metrics with fan voting.
Crow-Armstrong earned top honors in the NL following a strong defensive campaign. He led all major league players in both fielding run value with 26 and range value with 23. Additionally, he ranked ninth in defensive runs saved with 16 and seventh in defensive WAR at 2.1.
In the AL, Bellinger finished fifth overall in defensive runs saved with 20, tied for 16th in defensive WAR with 1.7, 42nd in fielding run value with eight, and 49th in range value with five. Other key AL defensive performers this season included Boston Red Sox outfielders Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela, Tampa Bay Rays infielder Taylor Walls—who posted an MLB-best 3.0 defensive WAR—Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler, Seattle Mariners infielder Cole Young, and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.
Team Gold Glove Honors
The Team Gold Glove Awards were awarded to the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL and the Chicago Cubs in the NL.
Toronto secured the AL team honor despite having no individual Gold Glove winners on its roster. The Blue Jays produced finalists at five different positions: pitcher José Soriano, catcher Brandon Valenzuela, first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., shortstop Andrés Giménez, and right fielder Nathan Lukes. Toronto led the AL in both defensive WAR and fielding run value while placing second overall in MLB in both metrics. The club also ranked third in the AL and sixth overall in defensive runs saved.
The Cubs won the NL Team Gold Glove for the second straight year after leading baseball across several defensive metrics, including defensive runs saved, defensive WAR, outs above average, fielding percentage, and fielding run value. Chicago was led by individual Gold Glove winners Crow-Armstrong and third baseman Alex Bregman, alongside finalists Dansby Swanson at shortstop, Ian Happ in left field, and Seiya Suzuki in right field.
Bobby Witt Jr. Makes History with Heart & Hustle Award
Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. received the Heart & Hustle Award for the third consecutive season. The achievement makes Witt the first player in major league history to win the honor three times, moving past Craig Biggio, who previously shared the record with two selection victories.
Created in 2005 by the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association, the award is voted on by active players and alumni. It is given to an “active player who demonstrates a passion for the game of baseball and best embodies the values, spirit, and traditions of the game.”
Each of the 30 MLB clubs submits a nominee for the award. Outfielder Sal Frelick represented the Milwaukee Brewers as the team’s nominee for the second consecutive season.
