Pink Sox outfielders Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela had been pretty much as good as gold in 2025.
That is Abreu’s second consecutive Gold Glove win, and the primary of Rafaela’s profession. It’s also the primary Pink Sox season with a number of Gold Glover since 2018, when Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Ian Kinsler introduced residence a trio.
Rookie catcher Carlos Narváez was a finalist this 12 months as nicely, however the defensive accolade went as a substitute to Detroit’s Dillon Dingler when the winners had been introduced on ESPN Sunday night time.
Abreu, 26, is the primary Pink Sox participant to win consecutive Gold Gloves since Betts, who additionally manned proper area throughout Boston tenure. Taking residence the gold final season made Abreu not solely the primary Pink Sox winner since Betts in ‘19, however the membership’s first rookie winner since Fred Lynn in ‘75.
Regardless that an August calf harm that price him over a month of video games and prevented him from ‘Certified Participant’ standing, Abreu’s 15 DRS ranked second amongst all AL proper fielders with 800 or extra defensive innings. He completed within the ninetieth MLB percentile in FRV, 94th in OAA, and 97th in arm energy.
Main all certified AL middle fielders with 20 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) – no different participant reached 10 – made Rafaela, 25, a shoo-in for his first profession Gold Glove and Fielding Bible Award, which he gained on Oct. 23.
But to really grasp Rafaela’s defensive dominance, one should zoom out and take a look at the broader defensive panorama. His 21 Outs Above Common (OAA) outranked all AL outfielders, second total solely to Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong (24). Rafaela ranked within the 97th MLB percentile in arm energy and 99th in FRV and OAA. His plus-22 fielding run worth ranked second in all of MLB to Giants catcher Patrick Bailey (plus-31); no different AL outfielder even performed to a FRV larger than 12 (Guardians’ Steven Kwan).
Rafaela may need gained his first Gold Glove final 12 months as a super-utility participant, if not for some struggles within the infield; in ‘24 he grew to become the primary main leaguer because the trendy period started in 1901 to start out no less than 60 video games apiece at shortstop and middle in the identical season.
Rafaela is the seventh middle fielder in franchise historical past to convey residence the gold, and the primary since Bradley Jr. in 2018. Signed to an eight-year, $50 million extension by 2031 with a membership possibility for ‘32, Rafaela has loads of time to develop into the second Pink Sox middle fielder to win a number of Gold Gloves; Lynn earned 4 between 1975-80.
Talking of Bailey, he was the one catcher with extra DRS (19) than the rookie behind the dish for the Pink Sox (10). Narváez put himself within the eighty fifth MLB percentile in framing, 88th in Blocks Above Common, ninety fifth in FRV, and 98th in Caught Stealing Above Common. Although Dingler and fellow finalist Alejandro Kirk (Blue Jays) caught extra innings, Narváez tied Guardians’ Bo Naylor for the MLB lead in catcher assists (58).
Jason Varitek stays the final Pink Sox catcher to win a Gold Glove, in ‘05.
Because the award’s inception in 1957, 25 Pink Sox gamers have gained a mixed 52 Gold Gloves. That is the fifth time a number of Pink Sox outfielders have gained in the identical season.
Votes from every membership’s supervisor and as much as six coaches, none of whom might vote for gamers on their very own crew, comprise roughly 75 % of the choice, and the SABR Defensive Index™ (SDI) has made up the remaining 25 % since 2013. In the latest rankings printed on Aug. 10, Abreu’s 11.4 SDI surpassed all different American League fielders by a major margin; Rafaela got here in second with 10.1, and Narváez slotted in sixth (7.9).
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