Red Sox Notch Three Gold Glove Finalists Amid Defensive Criticism

Rawlings announced the Gold Glove finalists for both leagues on Wednesday, and the Red Sox had two outfield representatives, plus one behind the plate.

Carlos Narváez is a first-time finalist for the honor, as the 26-year-old rookie backstop turned in an outstanding all-around season. He was fifth in fielding run value among catchers, second in caught stealing above average, and ninth in both framing runs and blocks above average.

Center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela cracked the finalists' list for the first time as well, and one has to imagine he'll be a top contender for not only the Gold Glove, but the Platinum Glove as well. He tied for third among all defenders in baseball with 21 outs above average, and was second in defensive runs saved with 20.

Lastly, right fielder Wilyer Abreu was named a finalist in his bid to notch back-to-back Gold Gloves at the start of his career. He finished tied for second in defensive runs saved among all right fielders at 15, and led American League right fielders by a wide margin with eight outs above average.

It's clear that a few teams rose to the top this season in the American League from a defensive perspective. The Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays led the way had five nominees, the Cleveland Guardians had four, and the Red Sox and Kansas City Royals had three.

Is there plenty of legitimacy to the claim that the Red Sox's defense needs improvement? Definitely, but these three offer a lot more upside than risk with their gloves. Boston can drill down fundamentals all it wants in spring training, but the natural abilities here are world class.