After being touted as a potential future Gold Glover when he was still a prospect, Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes was announced as one of three finalists for a Gold Glove Thursday.
The other two finalists are Nolan Arenado of the Cardinals and Ryan McMahon of the Rockies. Arenado is obviously the person to beat, as the MVP candidate won the Gold Glove in each of his first nine seasons.
If there is one fielder who could potentially break that streak, it is Hayes.
Hayes led all players with 24 defensive runs saved in 2022, according to Fielding Bible. Baseball Savant tracked him at 18 Outs Above Average, tops among third basemen, and his .972 fielding percentage was was the best among qualified National League third basemen.
While statistics do factor into the Gold Glove voting process (25% is determined by SABR's Defensive Index), 75% is determined by a coach's vote.
This is Hayes' first nomination, though he was well deserving of a nomination in 2021, but did not qualify because he did not play enough innings in the field.
Last year, Jacob Stallings became the first Pirate to win a Gold Glove since left fielder Corey Dickerson in 2018. No Pirate third baseman has ever won a Gold Glove.
