Oakland corners win Gold Gloves
Chapman, Olson named best for second year in row
The A’s had four Gold Glove Award finalists. Two are winners.
For a second straight year, third baseman Matt Chapman and first baseman Matt Olson took home awards when the winners were announced Sunday afternoon.
Shortstop Marcus Semien was a finalist for a sec- ond year, but lost out to the Indians’ Francisco Lindor. Left fielder Robbie Grossman was named a finalist for the first time in his career, but lost to Kansas City’s Alex Gordon.
“Definitely means a lot, to be able to do that two years in a row along with Olson and to have Robbie and Marcus nominated,” Chapman said. “Just excited that the hard work pays off.
“It’s nice to play with the same guys and have guys around you that are super-talented. Olson keeps getting better and so does Marcus.
And to be able to be comfortable with each other and confident, I feel like Marcus and I have gotten pretty good about communicating and spacing out the left side of the infield, and we’ve gotten more and more comfortable playing with each other. And it’s an honor to be able to play next to him and Olson and have guys that are that talented on the team.”
Former A’s third base coach Matt Williams — who
has two Gold Gloves of his own — explained in August how advanced the pair’s defense had become.
“I’ve said it many times, both (Chapman) and Oly — their feel for the game is unmatched,” Williams said. “Just the feel, they feel the game, there’s not a panic bone in their body. They can play and are confident. We’re very fortunate to have those guys in the corner.”
Olson and Chapman are the first Oakland A’s to win consecutive Gold Glove Awards since third baseman Eric Chavez won six straight from 2001-2006.
Chapman’s 13.0 score on the SABR Defensive Index (which accounts for 25 percent of the award voting) was the highest of all defenders in the American League — as of August 18, the latest compilation of calculations. The nexthighest score: Cleveland catcher Roberto Perez’s 11.9.
A breakdown of the SDI score includes statistics like Ultimate Zone Rating and Defensive Runs Saved. Per Fangraphs, Chapman’s 14.8 UZR and 18 DRS rank first among all third basemen — in the American and National Leagues — by a considerable margin.
Like most players, Chapman doesn’t take those numbers too much to heart, no matter how encouraging. He was determined to clean up his errors, for one — he committed just nine, way down from the 20 he committed in 2018.
One other stat stands out for him.
“If I had to pick one, I’d say defensive runs saved,” Chapman said on a conference call on Sunday. “Just because that shows how much you’re helping out your team.”
Chapman is an athletic phenomenon at the corner, actively revolutionizing how the position is played. He plays far back on the dirt, like a shortstop, relying entirely on his quick reaction and strong arm to make bang-bang plays look effortless. He’s ranked by his peers and coaches as the best third baseman with the best arm.
He notices his impact he’s made on fellow third basemen.
“I think that the position of third base is changing,” Chapman said. “I feel like you see more athletic guys move a little better, and it’s kind of turning into a second shortstop with how deep you can play. Not too many guys are bunting, but I think it’s pretty cool to see how deep guys play. A lot of people are trying to test their depths, and I’d like to think I coined playing that deep.”
Given his statistical dominance, Chapman should be up for his second Platinum Glove, too. He beat out good friend Alex Bregman of the Houston Astros and the Angels’ David Fletcher.
Olson distinguished himself among baseball’s best first basemen with his quick instincts and athleticism. His 6.6 ultimate zone rating and 13 defensive runs saved is ranked the best among all first basemen — Chicago’s Anthony Rizzo trailed him with a 3.7 UZR and 3 DRS.
“He’s one of the best, if not the best defender that I’ve seen,” Olson said. “He could be plugged in at shortstop in a lot of teams around the league and be the best shortstop in the league that day, and that says a lot for a guy who plays third. The guy amazes me every day.”
Olson missed the first 35 games of the season, but did not skip a beat at first base upon his return.
The 25-year-old is a huge target at first base, but turned some of the more impressive plays of the season.
“I know first isn’t too glorious of a position, but it affects the other infielders and that’s something I take a lot of pride in,” Olson said. “I’ve been saying for a while that I had never wanted to be the guy who gets stuck out in first base. I was a bat in the lineup, so I do take a lot of pride in it. So to be able to have two in my first full two years is definitely an honor, and hopefully there’s more to come.”
Olson credited his dad, Scott, and brother, Zachary — who pitched for Harvard — for helping improve his defense. Those 97 wins aren’t possible without defensive minutiae, Olson noted.
“We don’t have a ton of big money guys, to be able to put a successful team together with that you have to be able to do the fundamentals right and defense is a big part of that. We understand what little plays can do that can translate to a win.
“I wish that Semien and Grossman got them, too, but glad we got a couple coming back to Oakland.”
Olson beat out Toronto’s Justin Smoak and Houston’s Yuli Gurriel.
If Semien had won, it would have been the first time threefourths of an MLB infield won the award since 2010, when the Yankees fielded Gold Glovers Mark Teixeira (first base), Robinson Canó (second base) and shortstop Derek Jeter.
Before that, the last American League infield trio to win: The 2000 Cleveland Indians that committed 34 total errors (one shy of the all time record), featuring Gold Glove winners Omar Vizquel (shortstop), third baseman Travis Fryman and second baseman Roberto Alomar.