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Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Kevin Kiermaier thought he was snubbed for the Gold Glove

By Ryota Nishino |
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - AUGUST 24: Kevin Kiermaier of the Tampa Bay Rays dives for a catch in the during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays on August 24, 2020 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - AUGUST 24: Kevin Kiermaier of the Tampa Bay Rays dives for a catch in the during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays on August 24, 2020 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
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Kevin Kiermaier of the Rays robs a home run from Bregman.
Kevin Kiermaier of the Rays robs a home run from Bregman. /

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier was disappointed about not being considered for the 2020 Gold Glove Award and he has a fair point.

Three-time Gold Glove Award winner, Kevin Kiermaier was not very happy with the announcement of the center-field Gold Glove finalists in the American League. Kiermaier was left off the 2020 finalists list which included Byron Buxton, Ramon Laureano, and Luis Robert. One of these three center fielders will be selected on November 3rd at 5 pm PT / 7 pm ET.

Kiermaier is competing in the World Series with the Tampa Bay Rays right now and has made several game-saving plays in the postseason. Many fans would agree that Kiermaier has been one of the better center fielders in the league the past five seasons.

The 30-year-old won his first Gold Glove Award in 2015, and also won the Platinum Glove in the same year. Kiermaier also won a Gold Glove in 2016 and in 2019. He has yet to make an All-Star appearance because his offense just has not been good enough. Kiermaier has a career .987% fielding percentage, and 135 defensive runs saved.

The only way to find out if Kiermaier’s comments are true is to compare his stats to the three 2020 finalists’ stats. Remember, the Gold Glove Award only considers the regular season so some of the plays Kiermaier has made in the postseason should have no effect. Let’s compare the finalists to Kiermaier and decide for yourself whether he was snubbed or not.

(Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images)
(Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) /

Byron Buxton is seeking his second Gold Glove Award

The Twins center fielder, Byron Buxton, had a great 2017 when he won his first Gold Glove, a Platinum Glove, and Wilson Defensive Player of the Year. The speedy outfielder covers a lot of ground like Kiermaier and has the athletic ability to make acrobatic diving catches and rob home runs routinely.

Like Kiermaier, Buxton has proved his defensive capabilities but his offensive slacking has not rewarded him with an All-Star selection yet. Buxton did not play all 60 regular-season games due to injury, but he still managed to have impressive stats.

For one, Buxton played seven games less than Kiermaier in the regular season but Buxton had 11 defensive runs saved. Kiermaier had 10 defensive runs saved. Buxton had a dramatically higher plus/minus fielding runs above average compared to Kiermaier (8 vs. 2).

Although, Kiermaier had an outfield arm runs above average score of six, while Buxton only had a score of one. This comes with no surprise as Kiermaier has one of the best cannons in the American League.

  • Defensive runs saved above average
    • Kiermaier 10
    • Buxton 11
  • Plus/minus fielding runs above average
    • Kiermaier 2
    • Buxton 8
  • Outfield arm runs above average
    • Kiermaier 6
    • Buxton 1
  • Total zone fielding runs above average
    • Kiermaier -1
    • Buxton 8
  • Good plays/misplays runs above average
    • Kiermaier 2
    • Buxton 2
  • Fielding percentage
    • Kiermaier 1.000%
    • Buxton 1.000%
  • Assists
    • Kiermaier 6
    • Buxton 1
  • Range factor per game
    • Kiermaier 2.00
    • Buxton 2.69

The contest between Buxton and Kiermaier is close for sure. But it seems like Buxton still has an edge on the metrics shown above. This still does not answer whether Kiermaier was snubbed or not so let’s go to the second Gold Glove candidate to learn more.

(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

The White Sox rookie is already making a name for himself

One of the most highly touted prospects was given everyday playtime in 2020 and he did not disappoint. Not only did Luis Robert impress White Sox fans with his offensive abilities, he also showed off his defense and athleticism in center field.

Robert had the lowest fielding percentage out of Kiermaier and Buxton. The White Sox rookie made one error in 2020, while Kiermaier and Buxton made none. But, Robert was healthier and on the field for nearly every game of the shortened season so there was slightly a bigger opportunity of error. One of the most important metrics is defensive runs saved and Robert was at eight.

  • Defensive runs saved above average
    • Kiermaier 10
    • Robert 8
  • Plus/minus fielding runs above average
    • Kiermaier 2
    • Robert 10
  • Outfield arm runs above average
    • Kiermaier 6
    • Robert -1
  • Total zone fielding runs above average
    • Kiermaier -1
    • Robert 6
  • Good plays/misplays runs above average
    • Kiermaier 2
    • Robert -1
  • Fielding percentage
    • Kiermaier 1.000%
    • Robert .994%
  • Assists
    • Kiermaier 6
    • Robert 2
  • Range factor per game
    • Kiermaier 2.00
    • Robert 2.73

The Buxton vs. Kiermaier comparison seemed relatively close, with Buxton taking the edge. Right now, it seems like Kiermaier did fare better in 2020 compared to Robert. The White Sox outfielder did win zone fielding and plus/minus fielding by a lot, but he did not come close to Kiermaier’s assist totals or defensive runs saved. Especially considering Robert played in 10 more games in 2020 than Kiermaier did.

Maybe Kiermaier has a point that he was snubbed. Was he directly referring to Robert’s finalist finish? Who knows, Robert’s selection could have been slightly affected by the rookie’s hype in 2020. Not to take away from Robert’s ability as a young 23-year-old, but maybe Kiermaier should have been included.

Now let’s take a final look at the Athletics center fielder.

(Photo by Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images)
(Photo by Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images) /

Ramon Laureano, the Oakland stand out center fielder is also seeking his first career Gold Glove

Ramon Laureano just finished his third season in the major leagues and has made several highlight-reel plays over the past few seasons. Like Robert, he is competing for his first Gold Glove against Buxton who has won a Platinum Glove already.

Laureano also has a great throwing arm like Kiermaier, but I do not consider him as athletic as Kiermiar or Buxton. In 2020, he played almost every game like Robert and did not record an error this season.

  • Defensive runs saved above average
    • Kiermaier 10
    • Laureano 5
  • Plus/minus fielding runs above average
    • Kiermaier 2
    • Laureano 1
  • Outfield arm runs above average
    • Kiermaier 6
    • Laureano 3
  • Total zone fielding runs above average
    • Kiermaier -1
    • Laureano 8
  • Good plays/misplays runs above average
    • Kiermaier 2
    • Laureano 1
  • Fielding percentage
    • Kiermaier 1.000%
    • Laureano 1.000%
  • Assists
    • Kiermaier 6
    • Laureano 2
  • Range factor per game
    • Kiermaier 2.00
    • Laureano 2.75

The numbers above provide a pretty good indication that Kiermaier outperformed Laureano in 2020. Kiermaier’s defensive runs saved above average is one of the most glaring differences between the two outfielders. And as mentioned before, Kiermaier played only 46 regular-season games. Laureano played in 53 games so he has more opportunities to increase a stat like defensive runs saved or assists.

Now let’s compare all four players together

  • Defensive runs saved above average
    • Kiermaier 10
    • Buxton 11
    • Robert 8
    • Laureano 5
  • Plus/minus fielding runs above average
    • Kiermaier 2
    • Buxton 8
    • Robert 10
    • Laureano 1
  • Outfield arm runs above average
    • Kiermaier 6
    • Buxton 1
    • Robert -1
    • Laureano 3
  • Total zone fielding runs above average
    • Kiermaier -1
    • Buxton 8
    • Robert 6
    • Laureano 8
  • Good plays/misplays runs above average
    • Kiermaier 2
    • Buxton 2
    • Robert -1
    • Laureano 1
  • Fielding percentage
    • Kiermaier 1.000%
    • Buxton 1.000%
    • Robert .994%
    • Laureano 1.000%
  • Assists
    • Kiermaier 6
    • Buxton 1
    • Robert 2
    • Laureano 2
  • Range factor per game
    • Kiermaier 2.00
    • Buxton 2.69
    • Robert 2.73
    • Laureano 2.75

Kiermaier’s name is bolded often in this comparison which says a lot about Kiermaier’s 2020 performance compared to the three Gold Glove candidates. Kiermaier is in first place for four of the metrics. Buxton is also in first place four times. As far as Robert, he only leads the group in one metric, plus/minus fielding. Laureano leads three defensive metrics.

So, was Kiermaier really snubbed? I think yes. The only glaring deficits Kiermaier had in 2020 were the total zone fielding, and plus/minus fielding. In all of the other categories, Kiermaier is either competitive or he won the metric out of the four.

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I do not think Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier would win the 2020 Gold Glove award based on the metrics above, but I think he should have been a finalist and can understand his frustration. Robert may have had the extra hype because of his rookie performance but I am not sure if he belongs in the group with Buxton and Laureano.

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