Phillies’ Zack Wheeler wins his first Gold Glove Award
Wheeler became the fourth Phillies pitcher to win a Gold Glove, joining Steve Carlton, Jim Kaat, and Bobby Shantz.
By any measure, Zack Wheeler has ranked among the best pitchers in baseball in his four seasons with the Phillies.
Now, he has a shiny trophy to go with his statistical accolades.
Wheeler won his first Gold Glove Award, Major League Baseball and Rawlings announced Sunday night, becoming the fourth Phillies pitcher to be so honored. Steve Carlton (1981), Jim Kaat (1976-77), and Bobby Shantz were also Gold Glove-winning Phillies pitchers.
Although Wheeler is more commonly associated with strikeouts (he ranked fourth in the National League with 212 punch-outs this season), he racked up four defensive runs saved and led all pitchers with 5.9 wins above replacement, according to Fangraphs.
Wheeler emerged from a trio of finalists, including Phillies teammate Taijuan Walker. Marlins lefty Jesús Luzardo was also a finalist. Ranger Suárez is typically regarded as the Phillies’ best fielding pitcher but fell short of the minimum innings requirement to be eligible for the Gold Glove.
Second baseman Bryson Stott and catcher J.T. Realmuto were also nominated for Gold Glove awards. The Cubs’ Nico Hoerner was the winner among second baseman, while the Diamondbacks’ Gabriel Moreno took home the award for catchers.
Every manager and as many as six coaches on each staff cast a vote for Gold Glove winners but may not vote for their own players. There’s also a statistical component that comprises 25% of the overall vote total.