Arenado, LeMahieu repeat as GG winners

Third baseman earns sixth in a row; second baseman makes it three in his career

November 5th, 2018

DENVER -- Make that a golden half-dozen for Rockies third baseman , and three for second baseman DJ LeMahieu.
The winners of the Rawlings Gold Glove Awards were announced Sunday night on ESPN, and Arenado ran his record-setting streak to six in as many seasons in the Majors. It's the longest run for a player at his position to start his career since the award was instituted in 1957. Arenado also surpassed Larry Walker for most Gold Glove Awards in club history.
LeMahieu, the only Rockies second baseman to win the award, took it in 2014 before winning it the last two seasons. The Rockies, who won the National League Wild Card and were swept in three games by the Brewers in the NL Division Series, had multiple Gold Glove winners for the second straight year and the seventh time in their 26-season history.
The Gold Glove Awards are determined by a system based 75 percent on votes by managers and coaches and 25 percent on defensive metrics developed by the Society for American Baseball Research.
Complete offseason awards coverage
"I love fielding and I love working on it," Arenado said. "I thank God for this award. There are a lot of really good third basemen so it feels good, never gets old. I thank Stu Cole [Rockies third-base coach and infield instructor] and the coaches for always getting me ready, and my people in offseason working with me -- the University of California, Irvine baseball coaches."

Arenado prided himself on staying on the field and finished with 156 games played, including 152 defensively. This was despite a right shoulder injury that hampered him through the final two regular-season months and the postseason.
"The Rockies trainers deserve a lot of credit this year for helping me and my shoulder to get on the field and compete this year," Arenado said. "They always help every year, but this year was tough physically and they really made my life easier. Much love to them."
The Athletics' -- like Arenado, a product of El Toro High School in Lake Forest, Calif. -- took home the American League Gold Glove Award at third base.
LeMahieu, 30, had a sterling defensive season despite having to go to the disabled list three times with injuries. Yet LeMahieu led all Major League second basemen in defensive runs saved with 18 -- eight more than the next two, American League winner of the World Series champion Red Sox and the Angels, and the Rangers' .
Additionally, LeMahieu led all NL players in SABR's Defensive Index -- part of the award criteria -- with 19.5.

"I'm just honored to win the award again, and happy for Nolan as well," LeMahieu said. "It was fun to be part of the best infield in the league this year."
LeMahieu became a free agent at season's end, but Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich said the team will talk to him about the possibility of re-signing.
Former Rockies outfielder Corey Dickerson won the Gold Glove in left field for the Pirates.