Julio Rodríguez Announced as Rawlings® American League Gold Glove Finalist
Rodríguez played elite defense in center field, committing just 2 errors in 152 games
SEATTLE, Wash. — Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodríguez has been selected as a finalist for the 2023 Rawlings® American League Gold Glove Award in center field, as announced today by the Rawlings Sporting Goods Company and Major League Baseball.
Rodríguez is one of three finalists for the American League Gold Glove in center field with Kevin Kiermaier (Toronto) and Luis Robert Jr. (Chicago).
Julio started 152 games in center field for the Mariners in 2023, recording a .994 fielding percentage. The 22-year-old committed just 2 errors in 360 total chances, with his fielding percentage ranking 3rd among American League center fielders.
Rodríguez tallied 12 Outs Above Average, a statistic that measures the cumulative effect of all individual plays a fielder has been credited or debited with, per Baseball Savant. Julio’s 12 OAA ranked 3rd-most among AL outfielders, trailing only Kiermaier (13) and Robert Jr. (13).
The Mariners center fielder robbed 2 home runs in 2023, one of just 11 Major Leaguers with multiple home run robberies during the past season, per Sports Info Solutions.
If Rodríguez were to win, he would become the first Mariners player to win a Gold Glove since shortstop J.P. Crawford and first baseman Evan White each won in 2020, and the first Mariners outfielder to win since Franklin Gutiérrez and Ichiro Suzuki each won in 2010.
The Rawlings® Gold Glove Award winners will be announced on Sunday, Nov. 5 on ESPN from 4:30–5:30 pm PT, with Platinum Glove voting beginning immediately after the show.
The Rawlings® Gold Glove Award is presented annually, one for each position, in both the American and National League. The Gold Glove has honored the best defenders at each position since 1957. Major League managers and coaches vote within their league, accounting for 75 percent of the selection process. The other 25 percent is conducted by the sabermetrics community.
