Jorge Mateo was Robbed – AKA The Gold Glove Joke
Jorge Mateo plays really good defense. Like really good defense. Whether you judge by the eye test, with highlight plays on a near weekly if not daily basis, or defensive metrics, he is really good. So the news yesterday that not only will Mateo not win a Rawlings Gold Glove award, but that we was not even a finalist for the American League award for shortstops, well… boggles the mind.
To wit, according to Fangraphs, Mateo was worth 2.8 WAR for the season, even while putting up below average offensive numbers. Compared to the three finalists:
Defensive Runs Saved (DRS):
Peña 15
Mateo 14
Bogaerts 4
Correa 3
Statcast Outs Above Average (OAA):
Mateo 11
Peña 7
Bogaerts 5
Correa -3
Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR):
Mateo 7.5
Bogaerts 4.9
Correa 1.0
Peña -6.3
Fielding%:
Correa .983
Bogaerts .983
Mateo .972
Peña .963
Correa, to no fault of his own, was clearly lauded for his previous reputation as a platinum glove defensive shortstop. While merited, he clearly did not have the same type of defensive season he has had in the past. Bogaerts clearly showed very strong numbers, and Peña, while seemingly having less range than his other positional compatriots, clearly showed some flash. Mateo on the other hand, utilized his 80 grade speed to clearly stand if not at the top of this defensive mountain, certainly earning a position as a finalist. Once again though, Rawlings, invoking memories of Rafael Palmeiro’s clearly undeserved American League Gold Glove award in 1999 despite starting only 28 games at First Base that season. Between Mateo’s snub and Juan Soto’s inclusion as a Right Field finalist despite ranking dead last among that position for qualifiers.
While the Gold Glove award carries prestige and history with it, clearly the selection process has had its problems for a long time now, and should be given the appropriate weight when considering the real defensive reputation of a player.
Now let’s see what happens with the Fielding Bible Awards, which shows Mateo with 14 DRS, just 2 behind Jeremy Peña of the Astros
