Platinum Glove winners: A first baseman is named NL's best defensive player in 2016

Since 2011, Rawlings has -- in addition to Gold Gloves -- given out a Platinum Glove to the player who is considered the single best defensive player in each league. This year's winners both played in the World Series, with Anthony Rizzo of the Cubs taking the honors in the NL and Francisco Lindor of the Indians winning in the AL.

Lindor had an excellent all-around season and was among the league leaders in defensive runs saved at perhaps the most premium defensive position. Surely some would argue that players like Kevin Pillar, Manny Machado or Andrelton Simmons are better defenders, but I don't think there would or should be huge opposition here, as opposed to the NL side (we'll get to that).

 

Here are the previous winners of the Platinum Glove in the AL:

 

2011: Adrian Beltre, 3B, Rangers
2012: Adrian Beltre, 3B, Rangers
2013: Manny Machado, 3B, Orioles
2014: Alex Gordon, LF, Royals
2015: Kevin Kiermaier, CF, Rays

 

Over in the NL, this one seems questionable.

Rizzo is a very good first baseman and he makes spectacular plays on occasion, such as this one from mid-August.

Still, first base is the easiest position on the field (note: Easiest isn't easy, as every position is difficult), and I don't even feel like it's debatable that Rizzo is an inferior defender to at least three teammates (I'll go with Addison Russell, Javier Baez and Jason Heyward here).

Given the degree of difficultly involved by each position, it seems that the single best defender in the league should either be an up-the-middle (C, 2B, SS, CF) guy or maybe a third baseman. Some of the best options would have been Nolan Arenado, Brandon Crawford, Russell or Baez. Since the Platinum Glove has to come from a Gold Glove winner, I think it should've been between Crawford and Arenado.

One element of the voting is the SABR Defensive Index. Rizzo was 13th in the NL (his teammate Russell was first). Of course, another element is the fan vote. So we can probably figure out what happened with the ultra-popular (and rightfully so) Rizzo winning it.

 

Here are the previous NL winners of the Platinum Glove:

 

2011: Yadier Molina, C, Cardinals
2012: Yadier Molina, C, Cardinals
2013: Andrelton Simmons, SS, Braves
2014: Yadier Molina, C, Cardinals
2015: Yadier Molina, C, Cardinals

 

I guess at least it wasn't Molina again, I guess. Variety is the spice of life.