Bregman captures first Gold Glove with stellar year at hot corner
HOUSTON — Third baseman Alex Bregman will hit free agency with a Gold Glove on his résumé. Bregman was named Sunday as the American League winner of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award at third base, which goes to the best defensive player in each league at the position.
Bregman, a first-time Gold Glove winner, joins five-time winner Doug Rader (1970-74 in the National League) as the only Astros third basemen to win the award. Bregman beat out finalists Ernie Clement of the Blue Jays and José Ramírez of the Guardians.
The Astros’ Mauricio Dubón, a Gold Glove winner last year at the utility position, and center fielder Jake Meyers were also finalists, but didn’t win.
“I just want to say ‘Thank you’ to every current and past coaches and teammates that have made this possible and especially, ‘Thank you’ to Ryan Barba, who we dreamed about this when we were taking ground balls at 15 years at the University of New Mexico,” Bregman told MLB.com “I’m pretty pumped and it’s an honor to win, especially with such great nominees from the American League.”
Barba, the Major League field coordinator with the Padres, taught Bregman how to play infield while he was in high school in Albuquerque, N.M. Prior to his professional coaching debut, Barba was an assistant coach in 2011 and 2012 at the University of New Mexico. The middle infielder played four Minor League seasons with the Brewers (2006–07) and Braves (2009–10).
