Red Sox’ Hunter Renfroe named Gold Glove Award finalist

Renfroe is up for his first career Gold Glove as he is recognized for the defensive season he put together out in right field alongside the likes of Astros right fielder Kyle Tucker and Yankees right fielder Joey Gallo.

Per MLB.com, the Gold Glove Award — which has been given out since 1957 —  “honors the best defenders at each position in each league.” Voting is divided up between major-league managers and coaches as well as the sabermetrics community.

In his first season with the Red Sox, Renfroe established himself as a dangerous threat to opposing base runners while logging 1,166 of his 1,213 defensive innings in right field.

The 29-year-old finished the year tied with Rangers rookie Adolis Garcia for the most outfield assists in the American League (16), though he also led all major-league outfielders in errors with 12.

Among the two other right fielders he is competing with, Renfroe ranked third in Defensive Runs Saved (0), third in Ultimate Zone Rating (-1.6), third in Ultimate Zone Rating per 150 Games (-2.1), and Outs Above Average (-1), per FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.

While the Sox finished with just one Gold Glove finalist, Enrique Hernandez can be viewed as a snub the same way J.D. Martinez was for the Silver Slugger Awards earlier this week.

Hernandez must not have played enough innings in center field (716) — while also seeing time at second base and shortstop to qualify at the position — because he was simply put one of the better defensive centerfielders in the American League when he was out there.

Of the seven American League centerfielders who logged at least 700 innings this season, Hernandez ranked second in outfield assists (eight), second in Defensive Runs Saved (14), third in Ultimate Zone Rating (7.4), tied for second in Ultimate Zone Rating per 150 Games (12.1), and fifth in Outs Above Average (nine), according to FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.

With Renfroe being named a finalist, it is also worth mentioning that a trio of former Red Sox were as well. Brewers center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. will be going for his second career Gold Glove Award, Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts will be going for his sixth, and Royals left fielder Andrew Benintendi will be going for his first.

As noted by MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, if Renfroe were to take home his first Gold Glove Award, he would become the first Red Sox player to do so since 2018.

That being said, the award winners will be announced on ESPN at 8:30 p.m. eastern time on Sunday, November 7.