Rawlings Baseball announced the finalists for its annual Gold Glove awards on Twitter Thursday. The finalists for each position included one Chicago Cub, Ian Happ. While Happ being up for what would be the first Gold Glove of his career is the biggest news of the day for the Cubs, equally notable was shortstop Nico Hoerner not making the list for the award.
Hoerner is perhaps among the biggest snubs for the award. The 2018 first-round pick silenced any doubts about his ability to be able to stick at the position, becoming one of the league's top defensive shortstops in the league in his first full season at the position.
The former Stanford Cardinal finished third in the league among shortstops in outs above average at 13, just behind the Atlanta Braves' Dansby Swanson, who was named as a finalist, and the New York Mets' Francisco Lindor who is also seen as one of the top defenders in the league. Miguel Rojas and Ha-Seong Kim, the other two finalists for the National League Shortstop Gold Glove, finished in sixth and 12th, respectively.
Hoerner was also fourth among shortstops in defensive runs saved, finishing the season with 11 runs saved. While behind Rojas, who finished first with 15 defensive runs saved, Hoerner did finish in front of Kim who placed sixth, and Swanson who placed ninth.
Hoerner was among the game's elite at shortstop and had a very compelling case to be a finalist for the Gold Glove. The righty may get another chance at the award in 2023, but the Cubs have been heavily linked to several top free-agent shortstops. Whether Chicago keeps Hoerner at shortstop or not, the 25-year-old has proven his worth at the position and is more than capable of manning it long-term if need be.
More must-reads: