Alex Gordon is a finalist for his seventh AL Gold Glove
Alex Gordon long ago ran out of hands with which to carry his Gold Gloves. But he just might have to figure out how to handle another.
The Kansas City Royals‘ veteran left fielder was announced as a finalist for an AL Gold Glove Award on Thursday.
He’s already won six times — from 2011-14 and 2017-18 — and he’ll win his seventh if he can beat out his competition in left field for this year’s honor, Boston’s Andrew Benintendi and Oakland’s Robbie Grossman.
Gordon, 34, made one error in a major league-high 276 chances. That’s a .996 fielding percentage, which among left fielders trailed only Grossman and Tampa Bay’s Tommy Pham, who each made zero errors — but in under 200 chances apiece.
Gordon also led American League left fielders with 268 putouts (71 more than the second-place Grossman). He also had seven assists (tied for third and two off the league high), plus countless runners stopped in their tracks knowing the fate that could await if they tested his arm.
Using Gold Gloves as the measure, Gordon is the second most honored defensive player in Royals history. Second baseman Frank White won eight, including six straight.
Only one Royal has ever won a Rawlings Platinum Glove Award as the league’s best defensive player overall, regardless of position. That was Gordon, in 2014.