Dodgers: Three Players Who Could Win a Gold Glove

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DETROIT, MI – AUGUST 18: Right fielder Yasiel Puig (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) /

We all know the saying “Defense wins championships”. Well, the Dodgers understand this and have some of the best defenders at their respective positions.

Of course, the offensive firepower of this team gets all the glitz and glam. For good reason, they seem to explode at least once during a game and just out-class the opposing team with unreal at bats. They have one of the deepest and deadliest lineups in all of the majors. A lineup that contains up to four real MVP candidates in the Red Dream, Kyle’s Brother, Cody Love and CT3.

But it’s not just the offense that has been fantastic. The defense and pitching deserve a lot of credit for this historic run. Going into Tuesday’s game, the Dodgers have allowed an MLB best 411 runs. The second best team is the Cleveland Indians who have allowed 468 runs. Yes, pitching has a great deal to do with this, but we cannot overlook how consistent this defense has been.

This defense has been consistent all year, remaining in the top 10 in fielding percentage. They also are the top rated team in DER which stands for Defensive Efficiency Ratio. DER takes a deeper dive than fielding percentage does and really shows how efficient a team is on the defensive opportunities granted to them.

To go with consistency, they seem to always make a play when it is desperately needed. The Dodgers have an elite defense and with this comes awards. Here are three Dodgers who have the best shot at obtaining a Gold Glove award this season.

Yasiel Puig

First off we will begin with the obvious selection for this award, Yasiel Puig. The Wild Horse has been an elite defender his entire career, but for some reason, people are just beginning to take notice. Everyone has always known about his bazooka of an arm but not all-around defensive ability.

He is built like an NFL running back and is probably just as quick out in Right Field. According to FanGraphs, Yasiel leads all NL Right Fielders in Defensive Runs Saved. Another stat that Puig leads NL Right Fielder’s in is a stat we will be talking about for the other two Dodgers. This is called DEF. Essentially what this measures is the overall defensive value and Yasiel leads in that as well.

Puig often gets criticized for his nonchalant way of catching fly balls. Giving old-school fans heart-attacks as they watch him catch a routine fly ball as deep into his body as possible. Often leading commentators to say “It’s all fun and games until he drops the ball,” he hasn’t done so yet (*knock on wood) and it is fun and games because he hasn’t.

Puig can change the course of an entire game by just being out in right field. His outfield assist numbers are very low, but that’s not because he isn’t executing, it is because coaches and players are afraid to run on him. Even on deep fly balls to right field, you will see runners pretend to tag but don’t actually have the guts to test his arm. He saves runs without even having to make a play. His presence along with his ability should make him a shoe in for the NL Gold Glove award.

Corey Seager

MVP Candidate Corey Seager should definitely be under consideration for a Gold Glove. His nickname says it all “Seager Smooth.” He makes everything looks so easy at one of the most difficult positions on the field. At times even making a ridiculous plays look routine. He does all of this while being “oversized” for his position. Many “experts” thought he would not be a sound defender at SS so he would have to move over to 3B but he has proved them wrong in his first two seasons.

Seager overshadows himself. He has so many people enamored with his swing and offensive prowess that people forget that he has a spectacular glove. Another reason for people not thinking of Seager as an elite defender is because of how he plays the position. He’s not the type of player to be flashy with the glove like many other shortstops like Andrelton Simmons and Brandon Crawford.

Seager honestly looks bored while making plays in the six hole. He makes everything look so easy, and that could hurt him in the eyes of voters. He makes a diving play in the hole look just as natural as a candy hop ground ball hit right at him. He is just like Chase Utley, a robot on the field who shows no emotions and just does his job.

Seager leads all NL shortstops in DEF. Which like I mentioned earlier measures his overall defensive value. He is the most valuable defensive shortstop in the National League. What makes him even better is that he is out there day in and day out, rarely getting rest. Playing even with aches and pains at the beginning of the year may have led to an inflated number of errors, but he has been consistent since being healthy.

Yasmani Grandal

The 28-year-old is an underappreciated part of this Dodgers team. Not by the team but more so by the fans who do not really see his value. But Grandal is an essential component of this roster. He does lead the MLB in passed balls but makes up for it in other facets of the game.

One reason for his passed balls is that he continues to try and frame anything close which can lead to him missing balls. But with that said he is one of the best pitch framers in the big leagues. Helping out a pitching staff that doesn’t need help. This staff has had themselves quite the year, and part of that is thanks to his pitch framing.

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He has become one of the best pitch callers in the game. Leading the Dodgers to the best team ERA in baseball, the fewest amount of runs and hits allowed in the MLB and the highest strikeout numbers in the National League. Yes, it helps to have some of the best pitchers in baseball at your disposal, but Grandal is still pushing all the right buttons to get the best from them.

Yasmani is also top 5 in baserunners caught stealing with 20. Grandal leads all MLB catchers in DEF. He does have some flaws but the parts he does well at really shine, and he should definitely be in contention for the NL Gold Glove even with some of the other great defensive catchers in the league.

Four other Dodgers come to mind. Cody Bellinger, Chris Taylor, Justin Turner and Logan Forsythe. Bellinger has the capability to win a Gold Glove someday but this season would be tough considering he did not play one set position. The same could be said about Taylor, he also had some minor setbacks in the outfield and has since ironed them out.

Next: Dodgers' Achilles Heel

Turner is such a great defender, but the fact that Nolan Arenado also plays third makes it almost impossible to win the award in the NL. Logan Forsythe could have had a shot at the award had he remained healthy all season, he is a very good defender.

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We all know the saying “Defense wins championships”. Well, the Dodgers understand this and have some of the best defenders at their respective positions.

Yasiel Puig

Corey Seager

Yasmani Grandal

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