Olson and Chapman win for A’s; Giants are shut out
Like everything else about the 2018 major-league season, Sunday’s Gold Glove announcements brought cheer to the east side of the bay and disappointment to the west.
The A’s, whose surprising run toward an American League wild card was fueled in part by a huge improvement in their defense, broke a 12-year drought for Oakland infielders when first baseman Matt Olson and third baseman Matt Chapman each won for the first time.
But the Giants were shut out for the first time since 2014.
Brandon Crawford’s reign as the National League Gold Glove shortstop ended after three years when he lost to first-time winner Nick Ahmed of the Diamondbacks.
Catcher Buster Posey, who won his only Gold Glove in 2016 and was a finalist this year, lost in an injury-shortened season to Yadier Molina, who won his ninth.
A’s shortstop Marcus Semien and second baseman Jed Lowrie were finalists, too, but lost to Andrelton Simmons (Angels) and Ian Kinsler (Angels, Red Sox), respectively.
Chapman’s win was hardly a surprise. He led the majors with a 21.9 SABR defensive index, a compendium of stats that counts for 25 percent of the Gold Glove formula. A vote of coaches and managers counts for the other 75 percent.
He supplanted 2017 winner Evan Longoria, who was traded by the Rays to the Giants in December and had a subpar defensive year.
Chapman should get some support in fan balloting for the Platinum Glove as the majors’ best fielder. Voting runs through Thursday at rawlings.com.
Chapman said in a statement that he wanted to thank manager Bob Melvin and all of his coaches, but he gave a special shout-out to third-base coach Matt Williams, a four-time Gold Glover at the position, “who helped me reach the next level.”
Olson said in a conference call that all of Chapman’s highlights helped him win, too.
“I definitely knew I had the potential to be a Gold Glove first baseman, but not necessarily in my first year, especially because we don’t get as much coverage as in other places,” Olson said. “But as the year started to go on, I felt I was playing well there, and getting more looks because of Chapman’s defense, it all came together.”
Chapman might have secured his Gold Glove with a July 31 play in a home game against the Blue Jays.
Chapman was shifted into the hole when Yangervis Solarte slapped a groundball up the line. Chapman ran toward the bag, backhanded the ball and in one motion leaped and turned before heaving a throw to first in plenty of time.
Oakland ended a Gold Glove drought dating to outfielder Josh Reddick’s win in 2012. No A’s infielder had won since 2006, when Eric Chavez grabbed the last of his six in a row at third base.
The A’s haul reflects a significant improvement team-wide. In defensive runs saved, one of the stats used in the SABR index, they rose from 27th in the majors in 2017, at minus-44, to third best, at plus-61.
The Giants also had a significant increase, from minus-48 to plus-32, but not enough to help any individual win a Gold Glove.
Other AL winners were pitcher Dallas Keuchel, catcher Salvador Perez and outfielders Alex Gordon, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Mookie Betts. Winnners in the NL included pitcher Zack Greinke, first basemen Freddie Freeman and Anthony Rizzo — who tied for the honor, second baseman DJ LaMahieu, third baseman Nolan Arenado and outfielders Corey Dickerson, Ender Inciarte and Nick Markakis.