KANSAS CITY, MO. (October 28, 2021) – Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez, second baseman Whit Merrifield, left fielder Andrew Benintendi and center fielder Michael A. Taylor have been named finalists for 2021 American League Rawlings Gold Glove Awards, Rawlings Sporting Goods, Inc. announced today. The four finalists are the most by the Royals since 2017, and are the second most among American League teams this season.
Since 2011, Kansas City’s 18 Rawlings Gold Glove winners are the most in the Major Leagues, and the Royals have had at least one winner in each of the last 10 seasons (2011-20), which is the second-longest active streak in baseball, one behind Colorado’s 11. Perez has earned five Rawlings Gold Glove Awards in that span (2013-16, 2018), which are third most in franchise history, behind Alex Gordon and Frank White, who both won eight. Merrifield, Benintendi and Taylor are all looking for their first awards.
Rawlings announced today that the winners will be revealed on Sunday, Nov. 7 at 7:30 p.m. CT, during a special edition of “Baseball Tonight,” which will air on ESPN. The Rawlings Gold Glove Awards honor the best individual fielding performances at each position in the American League and National League, as voted by Major League managers and coaches.
Perez is looking for his sixth Rawlings Gold Glove Award after appearing in a career-high 161 games in 2021, which included a Major League-best 120 starts at catcher. He threw out 16-of-39 would be base stealers (41%), marking the best rate in the Majors among qualifying catchers and the third-best rate of his career, after throwing out 47.1% (24-of-51) in 2018 and 42.9% (30-of-70) in 2016. His 16 runners caught stealing were the second most in the American League. In a year when he became the first Royal earn at least a share of the Majors lead in homers (48) and RBI (121), Perez also led the big leagues in catcher assists (61) and led the AL in fielding percentage (.998) among qualifying catchers.
Merrifield is a finalist for the first time in his career, after appearing in 149 of his 162 games at second base in 2021, in addition to 18 appearances in right field and two in left field. He 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), trailing only Texas’ Nick Solak (.989). According to Fangraphs, his 14 defensive runs saved were tops among all second basemen, while his six outs above average matched Baltimore’s Pat Valaika for fourth among AL second basemen. Merrifield ranked fourth in the Majors in defensive innings played (1372.2), trailing only J.P Crawford (1412.1), Marcus Semien (1380.1) and Austin Riley (1375.1), while he and Semien were the only two players to appear in all 162 games, though Merrifield was the only one to start every game. Merrifield led all Major League middle infielders with 103 double plays, five more than the next closest player.
Benintendi started 129 games in left field and had six assists, which ranked second among American League left fielders behind only Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (13). Three of his six outfield assists came during a four-game series vs. Houston from Aug. 16-19, including a walk-off outfield assist on Aug. 18, when he threw out the potential game-tying run at home plate to end the game. According to Elias, it was the fourth walk-off assist in club history and the first that did not require a relay throw. Benintendi led American League left fielders in starts, innings (1116.0), total chances (234), putouts (225) and fielding percentage (.987), and his seven defensive runs saved, according to Fangraphs, tied for the American League lead among left fielders.
Taylor is a finalist for a Rawlings Gold Glove for the second time, following 2017 with the Washington Nationals. He appeared in a career high 142 games in his first year with Kansas City and led all center fielders with 11 outfield assists, which ranked fifth among all American League outfielders. His total was the highest by a Royals center fielder since Melky Cabrera recorded 13 in 2011. Taylor also led Major League center fielders with 19 defensive runs saved (Fangraphs), 15 outs above average and 14 runs prevented (Baseball Savant). His 19 defensive runs saved were second among all players at any position, behind only Houston shortstop Carlos Correa (21).