When the winners of baseball’s most prestigious fielding honors were revealed on ESPN2 prior to Game 3 of the World Series on Tuesday, St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado became the fourth infielder to win 10 straight Rawlings Gold Gloves.
In each of his 10 seasons in the major leagues, Arenado, 31, has taken home the National League Gold Glove award for third base. The longest streak for a player at any position at the start of a career is shared by former Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki and this one.
Hall of Famers Brooks Robinson (third base, 16 straight Gold Gloves), Ozzie Smith (shortstop, 13 straight), and former Cardinals and New York Mets first baseman Keith Hernandez were the only infielders to put together longer streaks (11 straight).
The Gold Gloves used to favor repeat winners, but this year’s awardees heralded a historic shift in the awards program. A record 14 players, including all but one of the American League winners, received their first Gold Glove awards.
