Giants catcher Patrick Bailey falls short in the race for a prestigious award.
MLB revealed on Sunday that Gabriel Moreno of the Arizona Diamondbacks emerged as the winner of the 2023 NL Gold Glove Award for catchers.
Bailey was among the three finalists in the National League for the same position, along with Moreno and JT Realmuto of the Philadelphia Phillies, who won the Gold Glove last year.
After being acquired by the Diamondbacks in a trade last December, Moreno started in 94 games as a catcher for Arizona this season. He led all MLB catchers with 20 defensive runs saved and nine runners caught stealing above average.
Moreno successfully threw out 22 runners attempting to steal a base in 57 attempts, achieving an impressive 38.6 percent rate – the best in the league.
Bailey made his MLB debut on May 19 against the Miami Marlins and quickly established himself as the primary catcher for the Giants, showcasing exceptional defensive skills.
In 97 games (84 starts as a catcher), Bailey recorded 13 defensive runs saved, ranking second among NL catchers, just behind Moreno. Bailey led the NL with 25 runners caught stealing and had a caught stealing percentage of 28.4, while also leading in other defensive categories among catchers and MLB defenders.
However, Bailey committed the most errors among NL catchers, with a total of 13.
Moreno may have won this time, but the 23-year-old Diamondbacks catcher and the 24-year-old Bailey are likely to compete for Gold Gloves behind the plate in the coming years.
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