On Thursday afternoon, Rawlings announced finalists for their 2022 Gold Glove Award selections for the National League.

Each defensive position has three finalists and this year (finally) includes the long overdue ‘utility player’ position.

The eventual Gold Glove winners are determined by a combination of voting by MLB managers and coaches, and the SABR Defensive Index. Each of the 30 MLB teams have their manager and up to six coaches vote for players in their own league, but are not allowed to vote for players on their team. These votes make up 75% of the selection process, with the SABR Defensive Index accounting for the other 25%.

The Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals led the league this season with four nominees each. The Dodgers had two: 30-year-right fielder Mookie Betts, who already has five Gold Gloves in his trophy case (one as a Dodger), and 32-year-old right-hander Tyler Anderson, hoping for his first, to go along with his 2022 All-Star selection plaque.

Whereas Dodgers fans have grown accustomed to witnessing seemingly impossible – and spectacular – catches made by Betts, Anderson’s nomination may have caught some Dodgers fans by surprise, although in all honesty shouldn’t have. In addition to his first All-Star selection in 2022, his team third-best 15-5 record (behind Julio Urías‘ 17-7 and Tony Gonsolin‘s 16-1), his team second-best 2.57 ERA (behind Urías’ 2.16), the Las Vegas, NV native and first-round draft pick in 2011 by the Colorado Rockies out of the University of Oregon made several dazzling defensive plays, including one pickoff and one pickoff/caught-stealing.

The 2022 Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners will be announced during an hour-long special edition of Baseball Tonight on ESPN on November 2, prior to Game-4 of the 2022 World Series.

Play Ball!

  *  *  *  *  *  *