Although the Toronto Blue Jays were finalists for five Gold Glove Awards, the team was shut out when the winners were announced on Sunday.
With five Gold Glove Award finalists — the most of any team in the American League this season — Blue Jays fans must have been feeling good about the chances of at least one of their players taking home the coveted year-end award.
But unfortunately for Blue Jays fans and for their players, the team was shut out when the award winners were announced on Sunday night.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Snubbed
The biggest Gold Glove snub from a Blue Jays perspective was first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who had the best numbers from a defensive standpoint of any first baseman in the American League this season.
But when the Gold Glove Award winners were officially announced on Sunday night, it was Christian Walker of the Houston Astros who won the Gold Glove Award at AL 1B instead.
Walker, a former Gold Glove winner with the Arizona Diamondbacks, is obviously a tremendous first baseman in his own right. But Guerrero’s numbers were superior in most categories, and so not winning the Gold Glove Award this year at AL 1B constitutes a major voting snub.
4 Other Blue Jays Gold Glove Losers
The other four Blue Jays to be finalists for AL Gold Glove Awards this season were catcher Brandon Valenzuela, shortstop Andres Gimenez, right fielder Nathan Lukes, and pitcher Jose Soriano.
Unfortunately for the Blue Jays, all of these players lost out on their awards, with Dillon Dingler, Tanner Bibee, Taylor Walls, and Wilyer Abreu winning the awards at those positions, respectively.
Blue Jays did get some good news in a way when the National League Gold Glove Award for catcher went to former farmhand Gabriel Moreno of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
But there is no doubt that Blue Jays fans are disappointed right now, as they were hoping to at least see one of their players go home with a Gold Glove Award, with Guerrero being, by far, the one player who absolutely deserved to win the award this season.
Blue Jays Shut Out in Gold Glove Awards