The 2018 Gold Glove Award winners are ...
Major League Baseball's top defensive players were honored with the unveiling of the 2018 Rawlings Gold Glove Awards on Sunday night.
Plenty of mainstays were joined by exciting newcomers in this year's field of finalists for the Gold Glove, which were determined by a combination of votes submitted by Major League managers and coaches and a sabermetric index provided by the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR).
• Complete 2018 Awards coverage
Here is the complete list of 2018 Gold Glove winners:
PITCHER
American League winner:Dallas Keuchel, HOU
Keuchel's Gold Glove Award is his fourth in the past five years. He was tied for second among AL pitchers with three defensive runs saved in 2018, per FanGraphs (Luis Severino led the AL with seven).
Runners-up:Corey Kluber, CLE; Masahiro Tanaka, NYY
National League winner:Zack Greinke, ARI
Greinke continued his run of NL Gold Glove dominance by picking up his fifth consecutive award. The veteran right-hander tied with the Braves' Julio Teheran for the Major League lead among pitchers with seven defensive runs saved in 2018, and leads NL pitchers in DRS since '14, with 32. In second place is Teheran, with 22.
Runners-up:Julio Teheran, ATL; Clayton Richard, SD
CATCHER
AL winner:Salvador Perez, KC
Perez won the AL Gold Glove Award for the catcher position for the fifth time in the past six seasons. He tied a career high by throwing out 48 percent of would-be basestealers in 2018. Perez's average pop time, per Statcast™, on attempted steals of third base was 1.53 seconds, third in the AL behind the Yankees' Gary Sanchez (1.48) and the Indians' Roberto Perez (1.49).
Runners-up:Yan Gomes, CLE; Martin Maldonado, LAA/HOU
NL winner:Yadier Molina, STL
Following two seasons in which the NL Gold Glove for catchers went to someone not named Molina, it returns to the veteran Cardinals backstop in 2018. This is his Molina's ninth Gold Glove Award; he won eight straight from 2006-15, setting the defensive standard for NL catchers.
Runners-up:Buster Posey, SF; Manny Pina, MIL
FIRST BASE
AL winner:Matt Olson, OAK
Olson wins his first Gold Glove Award in his first full Major League season, and third season overall. He led all Major League first basemen with 14 defensive runs saved, adding excellent defense at first base to an already powerful bat at the plate (53 homers in 232 career games).
Runners-up:Mitch Moreland, BOS; Justin Smoak, TOR
NL winner:Freddie Freeman, ATL; Anthony Rizzo, CHC
For the fourth time in history, there was a tie for the Gold Glove Award at a position, with Freeman and Rizzo each winning the honor for 2018. Freeman finished second in the NL with 12 defensive runs saved at first base, one behind the Giants' Brandon Belt. It's his first Gold Glove Award in nine seasons. Rizzo's Gold Glove Award is the second of his career (also '16).
Runner-up:Joey Votto, CIN
SECOND BASE
AL winner:Ian Kinsler, LAA/BOS
Kinsler won his second career Gold Glove Award, the first coming in 2016 while he was with the Tigers. The 13-year veteran was tied with the Rangers' Rougned Odor for most defensive runs saved among AL second basemen, at 10.
Runners-up:Jed Lowrie, OAK; Rougned Odor, TEX
NL winner:DJ LeMahieu, COL
LeMahieu earned his second consecutive Gold Glove Award at second base, and third overall in his career. With a career-high 18 defensive runs saved on the year, he was second in the Majors among second basemen to only Kolten Wong of the Cardinals.
Runners-up: Kolten Wong, STL; Javier Baez, CHC
SHORTSTOP
AL winner:Andrelton Simmons, LAA
Simmons continued to dazzle with his incredible range and acrobatic plays at shortstop in 2018, earning his fourth career Gold Glove Award. He easily outpaced his AL counterparts in defensive runs saved with 21, seven more than the Indians' Francisco Lindor.
Runners-up:Francisco Lindor, CLE; Marcus Semien, OAK
NL winner:Nick Ahmed, ARI
Ahmed had a stellar season defensively, winning a Gold Glove for the first time in his five-year career. He tied with Simmons for most defensive runs saved among Major League shortstops, at 21.
Runners-up:Brandon Crawford, SF; Freddy Galvis, SD
THIRD BASE
AL winner:Matt Chapman, OAK
Entering the 2018 season, Chapman had already earned a reputation as a strong defensive third baseman during his rookie campaign. But he took that to another level, leading all of baseball with 29 defensive runs saved and a plethora of highlight-reel plays. Chapman's jaw-dropping defensive wizardry makes him a prime candidate for the Platinum Glove Award, given to the most outstanding defensive player in the Majors, irrespective of position.
Runners-up:Alex Bregman, HOU; Jose Ramirez, CLE
NL winner:Nolan Arenado, COL
Of all the Gold Glove Award winners, Arenado is probably the least surprising. He has won the award in all six seasons of his Major League career, extending his own Major League record for infielders as he continues to set the standard at the hot corner in the NL. Notably, Arenado and the AL winner, Chapman, were teammates at El Toro High School (Calif.), with Chapman backing up Arenado at shortstop.
Runners-up:Anthony Rendon, WSH; Travis Shaw, MIL
LEFT FIELD
AL winner:Alex Gordon, KC
Gordon will take home his sixth Gold Glove Award, and second straight. He also won the honor in consecutive seasons from 2011-14. Gordon led all Major League left fielders with 18 defensive runs saved.
Runners-up:Brett Gardner, NYY; Andrew Benintendi, BOS
NL winner:
Corey Dickerson, PIT
Dickerson won his first career Gold Glove honor with a stellar defensive season in his first year with the Pirates. He was second in the NL to the Reds' Adam Duvall in defensive runs saved among left fielders, with 16, and finished with an impressive 10 outs above average, per Statcast™.
Runners-up: Adam Duvall, CIN; Christian Yelich, MIL
CENTER FIELD
AL winner:Jackie Bradley Jr., BOS
Given his outstanding outfield defense during the first five seasons of his career, it was only a matter of time before Bradley claimed his first career Gold Glove Award. He tied with Atlanta's Ender Inciarte for the Major League lead in four-star catches, per Statcast™, with 12. Bradley also finished with 11 outs above average for the season.
Runners-up:Michael Trout, LAA; Adam Engel, CWS
NL winner: Ender Inciarte, ATL
Inciarte has won three consecutive NL Gold Glove Awards, living up to his name by ending numerous bids for a hit with spectacular catches. He finished second in the Majors to only the Brewers' Lorenzo Cain, with 17 defensive runs saved in center. And with 21 outs above average, Inciarte and the Cardinals' Harrison Bader led baseball in 2018.
Runners-up: Lorenzo Cain, MIL; Billy Hamilton, CIN
RIGHT FIELD
AL winner:Mookie Betts, BOS
Betts, an AL Most Valuable Player Award candidate, turned in another premier defensive season to win his third straight Gold Glove Award. He was tied for second among all Major League outfielders with 20 defensive runs saved, and produced 11 outs above average.
Runners-up:Aaron Judge, NYY; Kole Calhoun, LAA
NL winner:Nick Markakis, ATL
The 34-year-old Markakis won his third career Gold Glove Award, adding that accolade following his first career All-Star selection last summer. Now a free agent, he's proven he still has plenty left in the tank both defensively and offensively, hitting .297/.366/.440 while playing in all 162 games for Atlanta.
Runners-up:Jason Heyward, CHC; Jonathan Jay, ARI