Brandon Crawford enjoyed a career year at the plate in 2021, but the three-time All-Star also continued to flash the defensive excellence that has made him a mainstay at shortstop for the Giants for over a decade.

Crawford took home his fourth career Gold Glove Award and his first since 2017 on Sunday, beating out fellow National League finalists Francisco Lindor of the Mets and Kevin Newman of the Pirates. Crawford’s four Gold Gloves are tied with first baseman J.T. Snow for third-most in franchise history, trailing only center fielder Willie Mays (12) and left fielder Barry Bonds (5).

• 2021 Awards Coverage

Gold Glove winners are 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.

• 2021 Awards Coverage

Crawford won three consecutive Gold Gloves from 2015-17 before his streak was snapped by Nick Ahmed of the D-backs in '18. But the 34-year-old veteran was in vintage form in 2021, bringing unrivaled stability to the Giants’ infield while consistently making even the most difficult plays look routine on a nightly basis.

“Honestly, for me, this one might feel the best out of all of them,” Crawford said. “I’ve always put a lot of pride in my defense. I think I’ve said that since I came up, but to have not won it for a few years and then kind of be told by everyone -- maybe not to my face -- that my defense was falling off, I’m not the same guy anymore, I’m getting old, that kind of stuff, and then to win another one. I think this one honestly feels better than the first one or any of the other three.”

Crawford supplied the defensive highlight of the playoffs for the Giants in Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the Dodgers, making a stunning leaping grab to rob Mookie Betts of a game-tying hit and allow San Francisco to eke out a nail-biting 1-0 win at Dodger Stadium.

The victory put the Giants on the cusp of advancing to the NL Championship Series, but they ultimately couldn’t close out the Dodgers, falling to their archrivals in five games to end their magical 107-win campaign.

Crawford ranked fourth among shortstops in SABR’s Defensive Index, tied for third with 15 outs above average and ranked third with 6 defensive runs saved, according to FanGraphs. He is the sixth shortstop to win a Gold Glove after his age-34 season or later, joining Derek Jeter, Ozzie Smith, Mark Belanger, Luis Aparicio and Omar Vizquel.

Crawford said he felt his experience allowed him to be smarter about the plays he attempted to make, which cut down on errors and helped preserve his body over the course of the season.

“I think being a little bit more mature and knowing what plays I’m going to be able to make and what plays I’m not,” Crawford said. “I guess that’s the biggest thing. Not trying to rush or make a play that I know I can’t make like diving for a ball in the six-hole with a fast runner. I know I’m not going to be able to get him out, so what’s the point in diving? It saves my body, and if I’m not going to make the play anyway, then there’s no point.”

More accolades could be on the way for Crawford, who is also a finalist for his second career NL Silver Slugger Award at shortstop and the Giants’ top candidate for the NL MVP Award. Mike Yastrzemski was also a finalist for his first career Gold Glove, but he lost out to Adam Duvall of the Marlins/Braves despite leading NL right fielders with 6 outs above average this season.