David Peralta is among the three Los Angeles Dodgers players who was named a finalist for a 2023 Gold Glove Award, earning recognition for his play in left field.
Peralta is a one-time Gold Glove winner, which he took home in 2019 while with the Arizona Diamondbacks. That same season Peralta also won a Fielding Bible Award and was the Diamondbacks’ recipient of the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award that has since been discontinued.
Peralta’s inclusion as a 2023 Gold Glove finalist is somewhat surprising as he did not grade out well in any metrics.
The 36-year-old finished the season with -3 outs above average (OAA), which placed him in the 24th percentile of left fielders. Among left fielders with at least 100 innings, Peralta ranked 47th of 94 with a fielding run value of -2.
Among the 65 players with at least 50 opportunities in left field, Peralta’s OAA ranked 46th, or 21st among NL left fielders.
Peralta’s arm was his best attribute, according to Statcast tracking, ranking in the 61st percentile and taking away one run from opposing teams.
Peralta ranked out better by non-Statcast defensive metrics, which are generally considered to have more flaws.
He finished with seven defensive runs saved (DRS) and an ultimate zone rating per 150 innings (UZR/150) of 13 in left field. Peralta also posted a .990 fielding percentage, recording two outfield assists and making two errors.
The winners were determined by votes from the 30 MLB managers and up to six coaches from each team from a pool of players in their league, excluding those on their own team. Those votes make up 75% of the selection total, with the other quarter being made up from the SABR Defensive Index.
Gold Glove Award winners will be unveiled on ESPN’s “Baseball Tonight” on Sunday, November 5, at 4:30 p.m. PT.
How David Peralta compares
Peralta is competing against 2022 Gold Glove winner Ian Happ (Chicago Cubs) and Eddie Rosario (Atlanta Braves).
Rosario finished second among National League left fielders with three outs above average, trailing Christian Yelich of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Rosario finished in the 80th percentile of OAA, but his arm value placed him among the worst fielders, ranking in the 18th percentile and costing his team two runs. That gave him a fielding run value of zero, coming out as directly even with not hurting or helping his team defensively.
He finished with a .983 fielding percentage, committing four errors and recording four assists with three DRS and an UZR/150 of -3.9.
Happ had the worst defensive season of the three, finishing with -7 OAA that placed him in the sixth percentile of fielders. He did somewhat make up for that with a strong arm that ranked in the 89th percentile and was credited for taking away two runs with it.
However, Happ still only had a fielding run value of -4, placing him among the worst defenders at his position.
Happ finished with a .989 fielding percentage with three errors and finished with 12 assists. Happ also had two DRS and a UZR/150 if 11.4.
Should Peralta win NL Gold Glove in left field?
The most deserving candidates for the Gold Glove in left field were not among the finalists, and each of the three who can win have serious flaws in their cases.
Based on Statcast tracking, Rosario should win the award as the only finalist who placed with a fielding run value that wasn’t negative. However, he also graded out as the worst by the non-Statcast metrics.
That makes Peralta a very real possibility to win as he was in the middle of the two on Statcast tracking but finished with the best traditional defensive numbers, aside from outfield assists that Happ ran away with, because voting is based on eye test with a small emphasis on analytics.
It would not be surprising if any of them won with no clear winner based on the numbers, but the award should have gone to Lourdes Gurriel Jr. of the Arizona Diamondbacks, who was far and away the best all-around defensive left fielder in the National League.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
