Detroit Tigers: The one reason Jose Iglesias probably won’t win a Gold Glove this season

Detroit Tigers fans have seen some excellent glove work from Jose Iglesias this season. A Gold Glove finalist in the American League at his position in 2016, Iglesias faces stiff competition for the award this season.

Detroit Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias is having the kind of season that fans have come to expect out of the slick-fielding shortstop.

Serving as a tough out—and almost quasi second leadoff hitter—at the bottom of Detroit’s lineup, Iglesias has also brought his trademark defensive excellence.

Based on his defensive exploits last season, as well as his level of play in the field in 2017, Iglesias is more than worthy of a Gold Glove.

However, he lost out to Cleveland’s Francisco Lindor in 2016, and may fall just short again this season.

It obviously remains to be seen what will happen with baseball’s end of season awards. Detroit’s shortstop is certainly more than qualified for the award given his play.

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In fact, Iglesias is second among all American League position players in defensive runs above average. He also ranks fifth among all defenders in UZR/150.

However, one player who ranks ahead of the Tigers’ middle infielder in both categories also happens to play the same position.

That would be the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim’s Andrelton Simmons.

Andrelton Simmons

Simmons paces all American League players in both defensive runs above average and defensive runs saved.

In the case of defensive runs above average, it isn’t even close.

The Angels’ shortstop checks in with a 21.1 defensive runs above average stat. The next closest player is Iglesias with a 15.5 number.

The race for the Junior Circuit leader in DRS among shortstops is even more lopsided, with Simmons’ eye-popping +32 DRS coming in at nearly five times that of the next closest player, Texas’ Elvin Andrus with a +6 DRS.

Simmons also ranks second among all American League players another key defensive category, UZR/150 with a 17.1 number.

Of course, not all positions are the same, but the Anaheim shortstop’s place in the standings shows how much of an elite defender he is.

Defensive runs saved, defensive runs above average and UZR/150 obviously aren’t the only way to judge a player defensively.

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However, they represent a number of the top analytical lenses, as it were, to view a defensive player.

Those stats tilt the scales heavily in Simmons’ favor—which is unfortunate for Iglesias and the Tigers considering that Detroit’s defensive stalwart would be something close to a shoe-in for the award if Simmons wasn’t so far ahead of the pack.

Iglesias’ case

After Anaheim’s shortstop, Iglesias is second among American League shortstops in both defensive runs above average and UZR/150.

He also ranks fourth in defensive runs saved.

In terms of defensive runs above average, the Detroit Tigers shortstop is 3.3 ahead of the next-closest competitor in Lindor.

The chasm between second and third place in UZR/150 is even wider, as Iglesias’ 12.7 number is more than twice the 6.2 stat put forth by Cleveland’s shortstop.

If Andrelton Simmons wasn’t having the type of defensive year that he’s having, the front runner for the 2017 Gold Glove at shortstop in the American League would likely be Jose Iglesias.

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However, as it stands, Simmons and his defensive brilliance currently stand between Iglesias and his first career Gold Glove.