Kansas City Royals Five Gold Glove Candidates and Their Chances
By Ben Nielsen
Jul 9, 2013; Bronx, NY, USA; Kansas City Royals center fielder Lorenzo Cain (6) catches a fly ball by New York Yankees shortstop Luis Cruz (not pictured) during the second inning of a game at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Lorenzo Cain
Other Candidates: Jacoby Ellsbury, Adam Jones
This one is an incredibly tough decision to make based on the situation. First, the race should be between Cain and Ellsbury as Jones has no business being nominated ahead of guys like Mike Trout and Brett Gardner. There is little in the way of an argument he should win the award over Elllsbury or Cain other than he was healthier than the two of them.
Cain’s numbers are better than Ellsbury’s, especially in UZR/150 where Cain bests Ellsbury by over 10 points. Add in Cain’s seven assists and one error compared to Ellsbury’s three assists and three errors, and the traditional numbers would appear to favor Cain as the winner, too.
The problem is Cain played 400 fewer innings in centerfield than Ellsbury due to injury and shifting over to right field when Jarrod Dyson was in the lineup. The gap is large enough that it could sap Cain of votes.
Cain was the better defender, but he may not win the award.
Prediction: Ellsbury wins.