Three Royals honored with Rawlings Gold Gloves

Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc., and ESPN2 announced tonight that three Kansas City Royals ­- shortstop Alcides Escobar, first baseman Eric Hosmer and catcher Salvador Perez - have won American League Rawlings Gold Glove Awards for the 2015 season. The three Rawlings Gold Glove winners are tied for the most in a single year in club history, with Hosmer and Perez being honored for the third-straight season, while Escobar earned his first.

The awards were voted on by American League managers and coaches and honor the best individual fielding performances at each position in the American and National Leagues. Outfielder Alex Gordon was also named a finalist for the award.

Escobar picked up his first Rawlings Gold Glove Award, becoming the first Royals shortstop to receive the honor. He led American League shortstops with a .832 zone rating, while he was third in fielding percentage (.980) and third in range factor per game (4.28). He committed just 13 errors in 1306.2 innings, which were tied for second-fewest among the league's shortstops that played at least 1,200 innings at the position in 2015. The 28-year-old was a finalist for a Gold Glove each of the previous two seasons and since the start of 2013 he's tied for the most games (468), ranks second in assists (1,252), second in zone rating (.814) and third in fielding percentage (.978) among A.L. shortstops.

Hosmer earned his third-straight Rawlings Gold Glove, becoming the first American League first sacker to win in three consecutive years since Rafael Palmeiro (1997-99). He is the only Royals first baseman to be honored with a Gold Glove. The 26-year-old tied for the American League lead in fielding percentage (.997), committing just four errors in 1,366 chances during the regular season. He also led A.L. first basemen in total chances (1,366), putouts (1,261), assists (101) and double plays (121).

Perez earned his third-straight Rawlings Gold Glove honor, becoming the first A.L. backstop to win in three consecutive seasons since Joe Mauer (2008-10). He and Bob Boone (1989) are the only Royals catchers to win the award. Salvy led A.L. catchers in games played (139) for the second consecutive season, while his 422 games behind the plate since the start of 2013 are the most in the Majors and 50 more than St. Louis' Yadier Molina (372), who ranks second in that span. In 2015, Perez also led the A.L. in total chances (1,068), assists (90) and pickoffs by a catcher (four). He also tied for third, throwing out 24 would-be basestealers, with his total over the last three seasons (70) ranking second in the Major Leagues.

The trio of winners gives the Royals 29 Rawlings Gold Gloves honorees in franchise history, with 13 different players honored. Below is a list of the 29 Royals' Rawlings Gold Glove winners:

1971 - Amos Otis (OF)
1973 - Amos Otis (OF)
1974 - Amos Otis (OF)
1977 - Al Cowens (OF), Frank White (2B)
1978 - Frank White (2B)
1979 - Frank White (2B)
1980 - Frank White (2B), Willie Wilson (OF)
1981 - Frank White (2B)
1982 - Frank White (2B)
1985 - George Brett (3B)
1986 - Frank White (2B)
1987 - Frank White (2B)
1989 - Bob Boone (C), Bret Saberhagen (P)
2000 - Jermaine Dye (OF)
2006 - Mark Grudzielanek (2B)
2011 - Alex Gordon (OF)
2012 - Alex Gordon (OF)
2013 - Alex Gordon (OF), Eric Hosmer (1B), Salvador Perez (C)
2014 - Alex Gordon (OF), Eric Hosmer (1B), Salvador Perez (C)
2014 - Alcides Escobar (SS), Eric Hosmer (1B), Salvador Perez (C)

Each manager and up to six coaches on his staff vote from a pool of qualified players in their League and cannot vote for players on their own team. In 2013, Rawlings added a sabermetric component to the Rawlings Gold Glove Award selection process, as part of its new collaboration with the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). The SABR Defensive Index comprises approximately 25 percent of the overall selection total, while the managers' and coaches' vote continues to carry the majority.

Voting for the Rawlings Platinum Glove Award™ presented by SABR began at the conclusion of the awards show at www.rawlings.com, allowing the general public to weigh in as to who is "The Finest in the Field®" in both the American League and National League. A combination of the international fan vote and the SABR Defensive Index will determine who takes home the honor of each League's top defensive player. The Rawlings Platinum Glove Award winners will be unveiled during the 2015 Rawlings Gold Glove Award Ceremony presented by Gold Sport Collectibles on Friday, November 13 at The Plaza Hotel in New York City.