CLEVELAND — The Guardians' 2022 season may be over, but their unexpectedly successful performance has vaulted several players into the conversation for numerous accolades across baseball.
On Thursday, we learned that five different members of the American League Central Division champions have been named finalists for AL Gold Glove Awards, given to the best defenders in each league at their respective positions. Cleveland's nominees are:
- Shane Bieber (pitcher)
- Andrés Giménez (second base)
- José Ramírez (third base)
- Steven Kwan (left field)
- Myles Straw (center field)
On a team without much pop in the lineup, the Guards had to rely on situational hitting, solid pitching, and clean defense to win games, and all five of these players combined for a stellar 54 defensive runs saved on the year. Kwan, a likely AL Rookie of the Year candidate, also led all American Leaguers with 16 total zone runs, including 21 in left field along with a range factor of 2.04 per nine innings and a fielding percentage of .991.
Since the award's inception in 1957, Cleveland has seen 16 different players take home a total of 35 Gold Gloves, most recently second baseman César Hernández and catcher Roberto Pérez for the Indians in 2020. Should Bieber take home the honors, he would be the first pitcher in franchise history to do so.
Three finalists have been named at each of the nine defensive positions in both the American and National Leagues, with the winners being announced on Nov. 1 prior to Game 4 of the World Series. For the full list of nominees, click here.