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Angels pitcher Griffin Canning is a finalist for an American League Gold Glove Award, meaning he finished in the top three on defense among pitchers in the league.
The winners will be announced at 4 p.m. PT on ESPN on Tuesday, November 3, in what is sure to be the most significant voting results on that day. Canning is a finalist along with Twins pitcher Kenta Maeda and Zach Plesac of the Indians.
The quirk in this year’s Gold Glove Awards is that the SABR Defensive Index (SDI), which normally counts for 25 percent of the process, will be the sole determinant of the 2020 awards. Managers and coaches didn’t vote for Gold Glovers this year because of the compressed season, one that saw teams only play teams within their own division and the interleague division in their region.
There are five stats used to determine SDI, incorporating batted-ball data and play-by-play accounts:
- Defensive Runs Saved
- Ultimate Zone Rating
- Runs Effectively Defended
- Defensive Regression Analysis
- Total Zone Rating
Of those stats, Canning tied with Nathan Eovaldi for the American League lead among pitchers with three Defensive Runs Saved.
The Angels last had a Gold Glove winner in 2018, when shortstop Andrelton Simmons and second baseman Ian Kinsler each won. Mark Langston is the only Angels pitcher to win a Gold Glove Award, taking home the top fielding prize five straight years from 1991-95.