Ian Happ, Dansby Swanson Named Gold Glove Finalists
Gold Glove finalists were announced Tuesday morning, with Ian Happ getting another nod in left field and Dansby Swanson making the top three at shortstop. As Matt Trueblood noted, Rawlings has been a little transparent (or lazy) in the past by simply releasing the finalists in the order of their finish. Maybe it’s just random, but it’s not alphabetical and there’s no other apparent rhyme or reason to the listings.
If Trueblood is right about the tell, Happ will win his third straight NL Gold while Swanson will finish second to NL Central rival Masyn Winn.
The 2024 Rawlings Gold Glove Finalists – NL Left Field – Ian Happ, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Brandon Marsh#RawlingsGoldGloveAwards pic.twitter.com/2g1mhBLr7s
— Rawlings Baseball (@RawlingsSports) October 15, 2024
The 2024 Rawlings Gold Glove Finalists – NL Shortstop – Masyn Winn, Dansby Swanson, Ezequiel Tovar#RawlingsGoldGloveAwards pic.twitter.com/QAJhYCVBWE
— Rawlings Baseball (@RawlingsSports) October 15, 2024
Regardless of how things end up, this is your annual reminder that Gold Glove voting is at least as farcical as the All-Star Game. I mean, how is Nico Hoerner not among the finalists at second base? Maybe it’s because he was a distant fourth with four defensive runs saved and just a 0.3 UZR/150. On the other hand, his 10 outs above average and 8.9 Def score on FanGraphs led the NL.
Michael Busch was a dark horse at first base, but he had somewhat of a rough start and doesn’t have the cachet of those who made it. Pete Crow-Armstrong should have been among the finalists in center, what with his MLB-leading 12 DRS and 14.1 Def in significantly fewer innings than others near the top of those rankings. His 14 OAA was merely fourth in MLB and third in the NL.
If there’s any consolation, the award should bear PCA’s name for the next decade or so. See the image below for the rest of the finalists.
