KANSAS CITY, MO. (October 28, 2021) – Kansas City Royals second baseman Whit Merrifield and center fielder Michael A. Taylor today were recognized as 2021 Fielding Bible Award winners, as announced by Sports Info Solutions.
This marks the 16th season that Sports Info Solutions has honored the best defensive players in Major League Baseball with the Fielding Bible Awards, which are voted on by a panel of experts who consider statistical analysis, the eye test and any other factors they wish to consider.
The Royals were one of three teams with multiple Fielding Bible Award winners this season, joining the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburg Pirates. Merrifield and Taylor are the first Royals to win a Fielding Bible Award since Alex Gordon in 2018.
Merrifield earned his first Fielding Bible Award in 2021, after leading all second basemen with 14 defensive runs saved. He started 147 games at second base – most in the American League – and led Major League second basemen in putouts (285) and double plays turned (103) and ranked second in the American League among qualifying second basemen with a .988 fielding percentage (8 errors in 674 chances). Merrifield led all second basemen in Good Fielding Plays, a metric tracked by Sports Info Solutions.
Taylor earned his first Fielding Bible Award in 2021, after leading Major League center fielders with 19 defensive runs saved (Fangraphs), 15 outs above average and 14 runs prevented (Baseball Savant). According to Baseball Info Solutions, Taylor ranked second among center fielders in Range Runs Saved and Outfield Arm Runs Saved. He led all center fielders with 11 outfield assists, eight of which came without the help of a cutoff man.