Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts was in the running to win his first American League Gold Glove award in his 10-year Major League Baseball career.
But Bogaerts won’t be taking home the hardware.
Instead, Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña earned the honor Tuesday, beating out Bogaerts along with the player Peña replaced in Houston, Carlos Correa. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Peña, who is trying to help the Astros beat the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series, is the first rookie shortstop to win a Gold Glove. Peña’s candidacy was boosted after he led all AL shortstops with 15 defensive runs saved in the regular season, per MLB.com.
Known more as an offensive catalyst than a defensive difference-maker during his tenure with the Red Sox, Bogaerts displayed impressive growth in the field this season. Bogaerts was tied for third in the AL among shortstops who played at least 100 games in errors committed with only 10.
Making an impact defensively became an emphasis for Bogaerts and he said he took a lot of pride in how he performed with his glove after naysayers picked apart that aspect of his skill set.
While Bogaerts didn’t come away with a Gold Glove award, he might not come up empty-handed. The 30-year-old is a finalist for a Silver Slugger award — a distinction he’s already claimed four times in his career — along with Correa, Bo Bichette and Corey Seager. The winner is set to be announced on Nov. 10.
