Tigers star gets completely disrespected in Gold Glove finalist reveals

Major League Baseball unveiled Rawlings' 2024 Gold Glove Award finalists Tuesday morning, and while one Detroit Tigers player made the list, others were conspicuously absent.

Jake Rogers was named a finalist at catcher, finishing with a fielding run value of +12 as well as 13 defensive runs saved at the position. With all due respect to Rogers, who became somewhat of a cult hero for the Tigers during their postseason run and was an integral part of staff ace Tarik Skubal's breakout season, he should not have been Detroit's lone representative on the list of finalists.

The Tigers' magical run in 2024 required significant contributions throughout the lineup, both offensively and defensively. Arguments could be made for a number of Rogers' teammates to be included on the list of Gold Glove finalists, particularly in the outfield.

Tigers star Riley Greene gets completely disrespected in Gold Glove finalist reveals

The Tigers' most egregious omission from the list of Gold Glove finalists was in left field. Detroit's Riley Greene led all Major League left fielders with 14 defensive runs saved, and yet he was not selected as a finalist for a Gold Glove Award.

Meanwhile, the three American League left fielders who were selected as finalists include Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians (nine defensive runs saved), Alex Verdugo of the New York Yankees (five defensive runs saved), and Colton Cowser of the Baltimore Orioles (three defensive runs saved).

In addition to leading his peers in defensive runs saved, Greene was also worth plus-3 outs above average and logged a 1.0 dWAR. Greene’s impressive 5.4 bWAR surpasses Kwan (3.9), Cowser (3.1) and Verdugo (0.7), thus indicating that Greene’s overall defensive performance made a larger impact on the Tigers’ success this season.

Greene's arm value (0) and error count (3) may be the only knocks against him in an otherwise ironclad case for his inclusion in the list of Gold Glove finalists. Despite his shortcomings in certain areas, his impressive WAR and overall defensive performance – and its impact on his team's success – should have been enough to warrant his inclusion.

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