Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig was named among the finalists for the 2017 Rawlings Gold Glove Award. He’s joined by Giancarlo Stanton of the Miami Marlins, and Jason Heyward of the Chicago Cubs. Heyward has won the award the past three years.
Among this season’s finalists, he ranked third with 919 innings played in right field. Heyward’s 1.7 Defensive Runs Above Average (DEF) and 10.3 UZR/150 were second in the league, while his 6.4 Ultimate Zone Rating was third-best.
Heyward tied with Puig for the lead in Defensive Runs Saved, with 18. Puig edged his Cubs counterpart, and Stanton, with a 5.9 DEF, 12.1 UZR and 15.5 UZR/150.
Stanton placed second among qualified National League right fielders with a 6.7 UZR, and was third in DEF (0.0), UZR/150 (7.1) and DRS (10).
Puig’s play in right field this season included making the stellar play, which has been routine for him since debuting in 2013, but he also cut down on the number of throwing mistakes.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts regularly lauded his dynamic right fielder for impacting the game with his glove and arm, and general manager Farhan Zaidi said in September he believed Puig should be the “odds-on favorite” to win a Gold Glove Award this season.
The Dodgers also have a finalist for the fielding award in Corey Seager. Either would become the organization’s first player to win a Gold Glove since Andre Ethier in 2011.
