Why Rays’ Kevin Kiermaier didn’t win a Gold Glove

ST. PETERSBURG — That centerfielder Kevin Kiermaier didn’t win a fourth Gold Glove this season was disappointing to him and his Rays mates.

That Kiermaier didn’t make the group of three finalists was frustrating and perplexing.

With the award given to Chicago rookie Luis Robert on Tuesday, more information has come out about the selection process, which relied solely on Society for American Baseball Research Defensive Index, which aggregates data from several sources of defensive metrics.

Bottom line: Kiermaier just missed being a finalist.

Per the SDI, which combines data from Statcast, Sports Information Solutions and Stats LLC with traditional statistics, Kiermaier was the eighth-best defensive player overall in the American League but the fourth best centerfielder, just behind Oakland’s Ramon Laureano (5.0 to 4.9). Robert won the award at 5.6, just ahead of Minnesota’s Byron Buxton, who was at 5.5. (Full ratings here.)

All components of the SDI are not publicly available. Defensive Runs Saved, calculated by Sports Information Solutions, ranked Buxton first with 11, Kiermaier second with 10 and Robert third with eight. Laureano had five.

Kiermaier made no errors and led all major-league centerfielders with six assists. Buxton ranked first in defensive WAR at 1.2. Kiermaier was next at 1.1. In Statcast’s Outs Above Average ranking, Robert tied for the lead among AL centerfielders with Boston’s Jackie Bradley Jr. at seven. Kiermaier was tied with Baltimore’s Cedric Mullins for third at five. Kiermaier led with five five-star catches, which are deemed most difficult.

In normal seasons, the SDI comprises 25 percent of the Gold Glove process, with a vote of managers and coaches making up the other 75 percent. But due to the pandemic-abbreviated season, Rawlings officials eliminated the vote and went just with the advanced data.

Among Rays at other positions, Joey Wendle was the fourth-place finisher among third basemen, though at 1.3 he was a fair amount behind No. 3 finalist Yoan Moncada of the White Sox (2.9). Texas' Isiah Kiner-Falefa won at 4.7.

Pitcher Blake Snell was the next-closest Ray to making the final three at any position, finishing tied for fifth at 0.6, just 0.4 behind Cleveland’s Zach Plesac. Houston’s Lance McCullers was fourth at 0.7. Los Angeles' Griffin Canning won at 1.4.

Shortstop Willy Adames, who both Kiermaier and Rays manager Kevin Cash mentioned as worthy of being a finalist, was nowhere close. Adames ranked 11th among shortstops with a -1.0 rating, behind Yankees fill-in Tyler Wade and the Angels’ David Fletcher, among others. Seattle’s J.P. Crawford won at 5.2.

First baseman Ji-Man Choi, who also had the endorsement of his Rays mates, was ninth with a -0.1 rating, behind Chicago’s Jose Abreu (2.0), Cleveland’s Carlos Santana (0.7) and Kansas City’s Hunter Dozier (0.1).

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Catcher Mike Zunino did not qualify for consideration, falling one game short of the minimum 29 needed. Backup Michael Perez, who has since been waived and claimed by Pittsburgh, ranked ninth at -0.2. Cleveland’s Roberto Perez won at 5.1.

Other Rays finishers included pitchers Ryan Yarbrough (0.3, 11th) and Tyler Glasnow (-0.6, 35th), second baseman Brandon Lowe (-2.1, 12th), centerfielder Manuel Margot (1.6, 6th) and rightfielder Hunter Renfroe (-0.8, 11th).