Former Phillies infielders J.P. Crawford and Cesar Hernandez have won their first career Gold Glove Awards
While Philadelphia Phillies rising star Alec Bohm is among the finalists for the National League Rookie of the Year Award, no players who donned red pinstripes during the 2020 season will receive a Gold Glove Award.
The 2020 winners were announced Tuesday evening for the popular Rawlings award, which honors the best individual fielding performances at each position in both the American and National leagues. Two former Phillies were named American League award recipients for their first career Gold Glove recognition each — shortstop J.P. Crawford (Seattle Mariners) and second baseman Cesar Hernandez (Cleveland Indians).
Crawford, 25, recorded the second-most assists across the entire American League this past season (145), while fielding the third-most putouts (73) and double plays turned (31) among AL shortstops. Spanning 454 2/3 innings, the Long Beach, California, native committed only three errors across 221 chances.
Hernandez, 30, led all American League second basemen this past season in both defensive games played (58) and assists (139). Spanning 503 2/3 innings, he committed only four errors for a .981 fielding percentage.
After he played 72 games with the Phillies in 2017-18, the Phillies dealt Crawford, along with Carlos Santana, to the Seattle Mariners for Juan Nicasio, James Pazos and Jean Segura. The Phillies cut ties with Hernandez after the 2019 season; he played in 832 games in red pinstripes since his 2013 debut, before being non-tendered along with Maikel Franco.
Big congratulations to Cesar Hernandaz - 2020 Gold Glove winner! All those ground balls we took on the half field at 8am paid off. Well done amigo! Couldn’t be more proud of you!
— Larry Bowa (@LarryBowa10) November 4, 2020
Glove Glove finalists were first announced on October 22, revealing that catcher J.T. Realmuto would not be considered to win a Gold Glove for the second straight season. Realmuto was bested by at least Tucker Barnhart (Cincinnati Reds), Willson Contreras (Chicago Cubs), and Jacob Stallings (Pittsburgh Pirates). Barnhart was officially named the award winner on Tuesday; in 36 games and 272 innings fielded, he committed no errors spanning 356 chances.
Realmuto earned his first career Gold Glove in 2019 — his first of potentially just two seasons with the Phillies — after he recorded a .992 fielding percentage and posted a National League-best 46.7 caught stealing percentage among catchers.
Other than Realmuto (2019), the only other Phillies to win Gold Glove awards in the Citizens Bank Park era include Jimmy Rollins (2007-09 and 2012, SS); Placido Polanco (2011, 3B); Shane Victorino (2008-09 and 2010, OF); Aaron Rowand (2007, OF); and Bobby Abreu (2005, OF).