Gold Gloves finalists revealed for 2021

The 2021 Rawlings Gold Glove Award finalists were unveiled last week. The winners will be revealed tonight on ESPN at 8:30 p.m. ET.

• All-time Gold Glove winners

AMERICAN LEAGUE

PITCHER
José Berríos, Blue Jays
Zack Greinke, Astros
Dallas Keuchel, White Sox

Keuchel, already a four-time Gold Glove Award winner, easily led all pitchers with 12 defensive runs saved this season. Greinke and Berríos tied for second in the AL, along with Chris Flexen, with five DRS apiece. Greinke is a six-time Gold Glove winner, having earned the honor six straight seasons from 2014-19. Berríos, meanwhile, is seeking his first career Gold Glove Award.

CATCHER
Martín Maldonado, Astros
Sean Murphy, A's
Salvador Perez, Royals

Two of the three finalists at AL catcher are previous winners -- Perez is a five-time Gold Glover, most recently winning in 2018, and Maldonado won the award in '17. Maldonado led AL catchers with 19 caught stealings this season, and Perez was one behind him with 18 (and a league-leading 44% caught stealing percentage). Murphy, who could win a Gold Glove for the first time, finished second among AL catchers with 10 Defensive Runs Saved and was tied for the best in the AL with +8 runs saved from pitch framing, per Statcast.

FIRST BASE
Yuli Gurriel, Astros
Matt Olson, A's
Jared Walsh, Angels

The AL’s Gold Glove first baseman in 2018 and 2019, Olson is eyeing his third win after ceding the crown to Seattle’s Evan White a year ago. The A’s slugger led all AL first basemen with 6 DRS, followed closely by Gurriel with 5 DRS. Gurriel could add his first Gold Glove Award to the batting title he already won, while Walsh is seeking his first win as well.

SECOND BASE
David Fletcher, Angels
Whit Merrifield, Royals
Marcus Semien, Blue Jays

There is guaranteed to be a first-time winner at second base, as none of the three finalists has previously won a Gold Glove Award. Merrifield paced all AL second basemen with 14 DRS, while Fletcher (12) finished second and Semien (11) rounded out the top three. The order shuffles a bit when it comes to Outs Above Average, as Fletcher finished first among AL second basemen with +9 OAA, while Semien racked up +7 and Merrifield posted +6.

THIRD BASE
Matt Chapman, A's
José Ramírez, Indians
Joey Wendle, Rays

Chapman is a two-time Gold Glover at third base -- and a two-time Platinum Glove winner, for that matter -- and the A's star led all third basemen with +17 Outs Above Average this season. Ramírez, who's a three-time Silver Slugger but has never won a Gold Glove, was next among AL third basemen with +7 OAA. Wendle, a first-time All-Star for the Rays this year, could add first-time Gold Glove Award winner to his resume, too.

SHORTSTOP
Carlos Correa, Astros
J.P. Crawford, Mariners
Andrelton Simmons, Twins

Correa is eyeing his first career Gold Glove Award after pacing all AL shortstops with 21 DRS. Simmons, a four-time Gold Glove winner, finished second in that category with 14 DRS, while Crawford (eight DRS) is attempting to earn his second consecutive Gold Glove at this position.

LEFT FIELD
Randy Arozarena, Rays
Andrew Benintendi, Royals
Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Blue Jays

Eight-time Gold Glove Award winner Alex Gordon retired after the 2020 season, so the door is open for another player to assert himself as the league’s best defensive left fielder. With Arozarena, Benintendi and Gurriel announced as the finalists, we’re guaranteed to see a first-time winner at this position. The trio tied for the position lead with 7 DRS apiece, while Gurriel led all MLB left fielders with 12 assists -- five more than the next closest left fielder.

CENTER FIELD
Kevin Kiermaier, Rays
Myles Straw, Indians
Michael A. Taylor, Royals

Kiermaier has a chance to win his fourth Gold Glove Award -- the Rays center fielder also won in 2015, '16 and '19. Straw and Taylor, on the other hand, would both be first-time winners. Taylor ranked second among MLB outfielders with +15 Outs Above Average this season, and he racked up 11 outfield assists with his strong arm. The speedy Straw ranked third among AL outfielders with +13 Outs Above Average.

RIGHT FIELD
Hunter Renfroe, Red Sox
Kyle Tucker, Astros
Joey Gallo, Yankees

Last year’s AL Gold Glover in right field, Gallo is trying to make it two in a row, while Tucker and Renfroe are both seeking their first win. Renfroe tied Rangers rookie Adolis García for the MLB lead with 16 outfield assists, with Gallo (14 assists) close behind. Gallo and Tucker also produced 11 DRS apiece in right field, tied with Aaron Judge for second at the position behind García.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

PITCHER
Zach Davies, Cubs
Max Fried, Braves
Zack Wheeler, Phillies

The finalists for Senior Circuit pitchers include Fried, last year’s NL Gold Glove Award winner on the mound, along with two veterans who haven’t won before. Fried and Davies tied for second among NL pitchers in defensive runs saved (6), and Wheeler wasn’t far behind with 5 DRS.

CATCHER
Yadier Molina, Cardinals
J.T. Realmuto, Phillies
Jacob Stallings, Pirates

Stallings is the only finalist in this group who has not won a Gold Glove Award previously. The Pirates backstop is seeking the hardware for the first time after pacing all catchers with 21 DRS this season. That was more than twice as many as any other NL backstop. As for Molina, he's eyeing his 10th career Gold Glove Award -- and first since 2018. Realmuto won his only Gold Glove Award in 2019, his debut season with the Phillies.

FIRST BASE
Freddie Freeman, Braves
Paul Goldschmidt, Cardinals
Max Muncy, Dodgers

Muncy is looking for his first Gold Glove Award, unlike the two other finalists at first base in the NL -- Freeman won the award in 2018, while Goldschmidt is the most decorated as a three-time Gold Glover (most recently winning in '17). Muncy led all MLB first basemen with +7 Outs Above Average in 2021, per Statcast, while Goldschmidt was right behind him with +6 OAA and Freeman third in the NL with +4 OAA.

SECOND BASE
Ozzie Albies, Braves
Tommy Edman, Cardinals
Kolten Wong, Brewers

Wong has a chance to win his third straight Gold Glove Award and first as a member of the Brewers. Edman replaced Wong as the Cardinals’ starting second baseman and proved to be a strong defender in his own right at the keystone, leading the position with +13 OAA. Albies, like Edman, would be a first-time Gold Glover if he pulls out the victory this year.

THIRD BASE
Nolan Arenado, Cardinals
Manny Machado, Padres
Ryan McMahon, Rockies

It's no surprise to see Arenado as a finalist, considering he won the Gold Glove Award at third base in each of his first eight seasons in the Majors. Even as a finalist once again this year, though, there's no guarantee that he'll win No. 9. After all, McMahon matched Arenado with 10 OAA apiece -- but it was McMahon who doubled up his former teammate in DRS (McMahon racked up 12 to Arenado's six). Machado, meanwhile, is looking for his third career Gold Glove Award after winning a pair with the Orioles in the AL.

SHORTSTOP
Brandon Crawford, Giants
Francisco Lindor, Mets
Kevin Newman, Pirates

After winning two Gold Glove Awards in the AL during his time with Cleveland, Lindor is now eyeing his first NL win. Crawford is a three-time NL Gold Glover, although he hasn’t won since 2017. Lindor led all NL shortstops and ranked second among all players with 20 OAA in 2021, while Crawford had 15 OAA. Newman had 3 OAA, but in terms of DRS, he actually edged out his more accomplished counterparts, recording 9 DRS to 6 for Crawford and 4 for Lindor.

LEFT FIELD
Tyler O'Neill, Cardinals
David Peralta, D-backs
AJ Pollock, Dodgers

O'Neill is the NL's reigning Gold Glove Award winner in left field, and he led all MLB left fielders with 12 Defensive Runs Saved in 2021. Peralta and Pollock are previous winners, too, with Peralta taking the Gold Glove Award in left field in '19 and Pollock winning in center field in '15.

CENTER FIELD
Harrison Bader, Cardinals
Bryan Reynolds, Pirates
Jackie Bradley Jr., Brewers

Bader and Reynolds are seeking their first career Gold Glove Award, while Bradley previously won the honor as a member of the Red Sox in 2018. As for this year, Bader led all NL center fielders with 15 DRS, while Bradley was second with nine. Bader also paced NL center fielders with +13 OAA, though Reynolds finished second in that category with +10 OAA.

RIGHT FIELD
Mookie Betts, Dodgers
Adam Duvall, Braves
Mike Yastrzemski, Giants

The Gold Glove finalists for the NL in right field come from three of the league's strongest teams -- Yastrzemski from the 107-win Giants, Betts from the 106-win Dodgers and Duvall from the pennant-winning Braves. Betts is the only one of the trio who's won a Gold Glove Award before … and he's won five in a row, including last year in his debut season in the NL. But Yastrzemski led the group with +7 Outs Above Average, and Duvall was tops of this trio with 12 outfield assists.