The 2023 Rawlings Gold Glove Award finalists were announced on Wednesday with three finalists per league at each position.
However, there was one name left off the list that prompted quite a reaction.
Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.’s name wasn’t on the list of finalists for the prestigious honor and it left his teammates scratching their heads.
For starters, the team’s catcher, and five-time Gold Glove winner himself Salvador Perez wasn’t sure why Witt Jr. was left off.
“I don’t know how that happened???” Perez wrote on X/Twitter, followed by an angry emoji.
I don’t know how that happened???😡 https://t.co/AqqMZKBuTc
— Salvador Perez (@SalvadorPerez15) October 18, 2023
Royals infielder Maikel Garcia wrote: “Who votes for the gold glove? What a joke.”
Who votes for the gold glove?
What a joke
— Maikel Garcia (@maikeljose06) October 18, 2023
And Witt Jr. himself simply put a thinking emoji.
— Bobby Witt Jr (@BwittJr) October 18, 2023
The tweet that Witt Jr. and Perez were quote tweeting mentioned the fact that the 23-year-old star led all American League shortstops in outs above average with 14 and 11 runs prevented.
Woof.
According to the Rawlings website, the Gold Glove Award “represents overall fielding excellence, and it is not an award based solely on fielding metrics and statistics, nor does it factor in offensive production.”
I just … OK?
After the finalists, the winners are determined at the standard positions, and the utility position (which was introduced for the first time in 2022). The 30 MLB managers, as well as up to six coaches from each team, vote from a pool of players in their league. It does exclude players from their own team. The vote counts for 75% of the selection total. SABR Defensive Index counts for the other 25%.
At least we know how Witt and his teammates feel.
