As one of the Gold Glove Award winners, Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star Mookie Betts was up for the National League Rawlings Platinum Glove, which went to St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado for the sixth consecutive season. Jose Trevino won the honor for the American League.
Arenado holds the record for most Platinum Glove Awards since it was first introduced in 2011. Arenado’s 10 Gold Gloves have him tied with Mike Schmidt for the second-most.
He committed just 12 errors in 379 defensive opportunities and led all of baseball with a 13 Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR). Arenado ranked third in the National League in Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) with 19, and finished fourth in baseball with 15 Outs Above Average.
In the AL, Trevino was far and away the best defensive catcher, throwing out a league-leading 33% of runners who attempted to steal a bag. His 21 (DRS) tied for first with Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan.
The 29-year-old backstop became the first Yankees player to win the award.
Fan voting factored into the winners for the Platinum Glove, and on first glance, an overwhelming case for Trevino is clear-cut when deciphering his defensive metrics.
However, Arenado was selected over a few candidates who have a strong case themselves, mainly Betts.
While excelling at the plate, Betts put together a stellar season in the field, leading his position and MLB, in UZR/150, a park-adjusted statistic that measures a player’s value over the course of 150 games, at 15.2. Betts finished second in OAA (5) and DRS (15). He also was a leader in SABR Defensive Index (SDI) for their last update on Aug. 28, with 11.19.
Betts has never received a Platinum Glove, but from 2016-2020 he earned five consecutive Gold Gloves and added his sixth overall this season.
Mookie Betts edged out by Paul Goldschmidt for Hank Aaron Award
The Hank Aaron Award was introduced in 1999 to honor the 25th Anniversary of the breaking of Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record, with a voting committee made up of MLB.com writers in conjunction with fans and a Hall of Fame panel, determined the finalists.
Both Betts and Freddie Freeman were nominated, but Paul Goldschmidt was selected after a terrific regular season.
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