Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder Starling Marte won his second-straight Gold Glove Award, awarded to the best defensive positional player in each league, it was announced Tuesday. He beat out finalists Christian Yelich of the Miami Marlins and Adam Duvall of the Cincinnati Reds for the honor.
The Gold Glove winners are voted on by MLB managers and coaches, and a sabermetric component is also factored into the decision. And apparently the voters, too, found it hard to ignore the fact that Marte has one of the best arms in the majors and has the range and speed to back it up.
In 2016, Marte, 28, had 17 outfield assists, which led the major leagues (for the second consecutive season). His 19 defensive runs saved was fourth among all Major League outfielders — it was first among outfielders in the National League.
Marte also made his first All-Star team this year. And 2016 was also his best year offensively; his .311 batting average, .362 on-base percentage and .456 slugging percentage are all career-high numbers. And he did all this despite missing most of September with a back injury.
The only other Pirates left fielder to win a Gold Glove? Barry Bonds, who did it in 1990-92.
Image credit: Justin K. Aller/Getty Images
