Joe Mauer 2017 Defensive Highlight Reel

[Tom Froemming]

The tape says it all ...

[Connor Gould]

He better get the Gold Glove. If not, the voters are idiots.

[walt-o-meal]

Rafael Palmeiro will win it.  Guaranteed.

[ashbury]

He better get the Gold Glove. If not, the voters are idiots.

I will want to view the highlight reel of the one who wins it.

[spinowner]

As stupid as this is, it will be helpful to his chances that he had a resurgence offensively this year too. I suppose that helps to make voters more aware of him.

[D. Hocking]

 

He better get the Gold Glove. If not, the voters are idiots.

 

Sadly, this has been proven to be true in just about any sort of situation where someone can vote.

[mickeymental]

I'm as happy as anyone regarding joe's renaissance and would like to see him win the popularity contest for fielding. i also enjoyed the clips of his 2017 highlights -- he looks smooth, agile and reasonably fast on his feet for a 34-year-old concussion-riddled former catcher. but i would also imagine that, over the course of a 162-game season, most major-league first baseman could put together a similar reel. 

[USAFChief]

I'm as happy as anyone regarding joe's renaissance and would like to see him win the popularity contest for fielding. i also enjoyed the clips of his 2017 highlights -- he looks smooth, agile and reasonably fast on his feet for a 34-year-old concussion-riddled former catcher. but i would also imagine that, over the course of a 162-game season, most major-league first baseman could put together a similar reel.

 

Or even 120 games, in Mauer's case.

[jimmer]

 

I'm as happy as anyone regarding joe's renaissance and would like to see him win the popularity contest for fielding. i also enjoyed the clips of his 2017 highlights -- he looks smooth, agile and reasonably fast on his feet for a 34-year-old concussion-riddled former catcher. but i would also imagine that, over the course of a 162-game season, most major-league first baseman could put together a similar reel. 

Well, no, that's probably not true.  There are clearly 1Bs who are great defenders and then 1Bs who are there because they need the bat in the lineup.

 

Mauer ranked 1st in the AL for 1B UZR.  No one was really close to him.  He was also 3rd in DRS and 3rd in RZR as well.  He's an elite defending 1B.

[Tom Froemming]

It's worth mentioning that Joe ranked fifth in SABR defensive Index among AL first basemen in their most recent update on Aug. 27. BUT ... there doesn't appear to be any metrics built into that index that factor in scooping ability for a first baseman, so as usual the numbers don't paint the full picture. Those rankings account for roughly 25 percent of the Gold Glove vote now, so while Joe is in the mix he's far from the favorite. 

 

The bad news for Joe is that he trails last year's winner, Mitch Moreland, in those rankings. It seems like once a guy wins one Gold Glove it becomes really difficult to unseat him. But the good news is Eric Hosmer, who had won the award the previous three seasons, ranks 11th.

 

An interesting side note regarding those rankings: Dozier ranked second to Ian Kinsler among AL second basemen. And, of course, Buxton was the top center fielder. 

[Platoon]

Two thoughts! Would Polanco's emergence as a barely acceptable defensive SS have occurred with someone else at 1B? And after watching Mauer catch foul pops behind the plate with a catchers mitt, it should almost be against the rules to allow him to use a 1B glove. It doesn't seem fair. I also think he would have been just as good at third of placed there after he was done catching.

[jimmer]

Mauer's UZR is #1 for 1B not only in AL but MLB.

 

He's not the favorite and he won't win it, but there's plenty to point to and say he is arguably the best choice.

 

He certainly saved a lot of our infielders with his play and by extension the pitchers.

[spinowner]

 

...the voters are idiots.

Proof: Don Mattingly won 10 in a row during the time that Kent Hrbek played first base for the Twins. Don Mattingly handled first base fine, but Hrbek made many plays Mattingly could not have because of the difference in height. And no-one was better than Hrbek at catching those foul pops.