Four Royals named finalists for 2024 Rawlings Gold Glove Awards
KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Rawlings Sporting Goods Inc. announced today that catcher Freddy Fermin, pitchers Seth Lugo and Cole Ragans and shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. were named finalists for the 2024 American League Rawlings Gold Glove Award. This marks the first career nomination for all four players. The Rawlings Gold Glove Awards honor the best individual fielding performances at each position in the American League and National League. Winners are chosen by a combination of votes from Major League managers and coaches, and the SABR Defensive Index.
Fermin, 29, played in 111 games in 2024, including 91 at catcher (72 starts). During the regular season, he caught 14 of 35 attempted base stealers (40.0%), the highest rate among all Major League catchers, more than 10.0% higher than the next American League catcher (Toronto’s Alejandro Kirk, 29.4%). His caught stealing rate translated to 8 Catcher’s Caught Stealing Above Average, per Baseball Savant, the highest total in the AL. The Venezuela native also boasted a 3.39 catcher’s ERA, the 3rd-lowest mark in the AL behind Seattle’s Cal Raleigh (3.30) and Detroit’s Jake Rogers (3.32).
Lugo, who turns 35 in November, was one of 10 American League pitchers to finish with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage and make 30-or-more starts, and he started more games (33) and covered more innings (206.2) than everyone in that group. Lugo had 43 defensive chances this season, 2nd to Boston’s Tanner Houck (51) for the AL lead. He successfully recorded 14 putouts and 29 assists, while contributing to 3 double plays, 1 shy of Michael Lorenzen and Casey Mize for the AL lead. Lugo registered 5 Defensive Runs Saved, 1 shy of Tanner Bibee’s American League-leading 6 for pitchers.
Ragans, who turns 27 in December, also logged a 1.000 fielding percentage across 32 starts and 186.1 innings, but he only fielded 26 chances (7 putouts, 19 assists) while converting 1 double play. Nine American League pitchers posted a 1.000 fielding percentage with at least 26 chances, and three of them were Royals in Lugo (43 chances), Ragans (26) and Michael Wacha (29), who was not a finalist.
Witt Jr., 24, posted a .974 fielding percentage across 1393.2 innings, tied for the 2nd-highest mark by a qualified American League shortstop, behind Texas’ Corey Seager (.983, 959.1 innings). He was the only shortstop in the AL to start at least 160 games, and his 1393.2 innings marked the 4th-most innings played at shortstop in franchise history, behind only a trio of seasons from Alcides Escobar in 2014 and 2016-17, headlined by his 1433.2 innings in 162 starts in 2014. Witt Jr. recorded a career-high Fielding Run Value (12), which paced American League shortstops and only trailed Dansby Swanson (14) of the Cubs for the Major League lead. He also logged 16 Outs Above Average, per Baseball Savant, the highest mark among AL shortstops, 3 ahead of New York’s Anthony Volpe. According to FanGraphs’ Defensive Runs Above Average (DEF), a statistic that measures a player’s defensive value relative to league average, Witt Jr.’s score of 17.6 was the 2nd best at his position behind Swanson’s 18.9, and it finished more than a full point higher than the next AL shortstop (Volpe, 16.2).
Winners will be revealed on Sunday, Nov. 3 at 7:30 p.m. CT, during a special addition of “Baseball Tonight,” which will air on ESPN.