These 2 New York Mets are Strong Super Utility Gold Glove Candidates
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On Tuesday, Rawlings announced that they will be giving Gold Glove Awards to utility players in the American League and National League beginning this season.
Rawlings has a requirement of 713 innings for position players to receive Gold Gloves through their team's 141st game, but It's unknown whether utility players will have the same requirement.
So, without further ado, here are two Mets players, who have a strong case to take home the utility player Gold Glove Award in the NL this year.
The obvious favorite for this first ever award is of course: Luis Guillorme.
The slick fielding Guillorme plays second base, third base and shortstop at a Gold Glove caliber level.
According to Baseball Savant, Guillorme ranks 61st in baseball with a total of 4 Outs Above Average, two at second, one at third and one at shortstop. He also has four defensive runs saved between second and third, per FanGraphs.
In early August in D.C., Guillorme drew high praise from starting pitcher Chris Bassitt, who went as far as to claim his teammate was the best infielder in baseball.
"Guillorme, in my opinion, I don’t really know how the defensive metrics work, but Guillorme is a Gold Glove-caliber guy," Bassitt said. "He should win a Gold Glove. In my opinion, Guillorme has the best glove in the infield in the big leagues.”
While Guillorme is the obvious choice, here's one name that some might overlook: Mets All-Star Jeff McNeil.
McNeil mostly plays second base and left field at an above average level. Per Baseball Savant, McNeil ranks 24th in MLB with 8 OAA, between second and left. He also has a total of three defensive runs saved at these two positions.
A case can also be made for McNeil winning a Gold Glove as a second baseman, in which he ranks 2nd in the NL with seven OAA behind Cardinals' Tommy Edman, who has nine.
For now, Guillorme appears to be the clear cut favorite to take home the utility Gold Glove award, but McNeil has better numbers by the metrics and more innings under his belt.
Regardless, both of these Mets have strong chances to win this first-ever Award after the season concludes.
Read More:
- Return of Luis Guillorme Increases Mets' Lineup Flexibility
- Mets Promote Mark Vientos After Starling Marte Hits IL
- Chris Bassitt's Consistency has Helped Stabilize Mets' Rotation
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