For the past 10 years, Nolan Arenado dazzled at the hot corner in ways that most third basemen can only dream of.
Considered one of the best defenders of his generation, Arenado is a human highlight reel synonymous with diving plays, outstanding awareness and overall defensive excellence. His prowess leaves his St. Louis Cardinals teammates in awe on a near-nightly basis.
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He also has the hardware to back it up. Arenado won his first National League Gold Glove award when he was a 22-year-old rookie playing for the Colorado Rockies in 2013. He’d won it every year since, establishing a 10-year streak that tied Ichiro Suzuki for the most consecutive seasons of winning a Gold Glove.
Yet after a decade as the NL’s king at the hot corner, a new third baseman will take the throne.
Rawlings released its finalists for the Gold Glove awards Wednesday morning, and Arenado’s name was noticeably absent. Instead, the finalists are Pittsburgh’s Ke’Bryan Hayes, Atlanta’s Austin Riley and Colorado’s Ryan McMahon.
The 2023 Rawlings Gold Glove Awards Finalists – NL Third Base – Austin Riley, Ryan McMahon, Ke'Bryan Hayespic.twitter.com/3Mv6b6wARG
— Rawlings Baseball (@RawlingsSports) October 18, 2023
The announcement brought an abrupt end to Arenado’s reign. And though his exclusion may have come as a surprise at first glance, his defensive metrics make the decision easier to comprehend.
The 2023 season was arguably the worst defensive year of Arenado’s career. The 32-year-old spent the first half of the season experiencing dead-arm for the first time before being plagued with back spasms over the final two months. Those impairments severely impacted his range and his throwing accuracy, and the stats back that up.
Arenado registered just 5 Outs Above Average (OAA) and a shocking 1 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), both career-lows. But just how far did Arenado slide defensively? Arenado had recorded at least 10 OAA every year dating back to 2016 (with the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season aside). Before this season, his lowest full-season OAA was 10, while his highest came at 22 in 2019.
Arenado entered this season with 155 career DRS, with his lowest mark coming as 6 in 2021. He had recorded at least 12 DRS every other year of his career, including 19 in 2022.
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Arenado touched on his arm fatigue in August, when he credited a rigorous training program with the Cardinals’ medical staff.
“I’ve been doing a throwing program with heavy balls and light balls trying to get my arm strength back, and I feel like I’ve done that in the second half and it’s finally catching up,” Arenado said. “Now I get to trust in my arm a little more than I did in the first half.”
“I feel like it was the first time I’ve ever had dead-arm,” he added. “I don’t know what it was. … (In) the first half, I would do those plays where I throw off my back foot, and (the runner) would beat it out. Last year I would get ’em out. This year, I’m not. There are little things, those adjustments I’ve had to make, but I feel like in the second half I’ve shown I’m back to being who I am.”
Arenado’s defense trended upward to his usual standard in mid-July and early August, but the persistent back spasms that ended his season in mid-September likely prohibited him from advancing further. Arenado was placed on the injured list with 10 games remaining in the regular season, only the third IL designation of his career. It concluded what could be considered the most disappointing year of his career, especially factoring in the Cardinals’ dismal performance in the standings.
The Cardinals landed one Gold Glove finalist — a far cry from their usual haul. Tommy Edman was nominated for the NL utility award for the second straight year. Edman was also a finalist for the award at second base in 2022 after winning it for the first time in 2021. He did not win either award last season, with teammate Brendan Donovan named the utility winner and Colorado’s Brendan Rodgers winning at second base. Winners of this year’s awards will be announced Nov. 5 on ESPN.
Not much was recognizable about the product the Cardinals fielded this year (as if their 71-91 record and last-place finish weren’t clear indicators). Yet for a team that has prided itself on defense, St. Louis — and its star third baseman — fell far short. The organization isn’t overly concerned with Arenado’s down year, but it’s clear the Cardinals will need to make serious adjustments defensively next season. Just add that to the already long list of items that will need to be addressed this winter.
(Photo of Nolan Arenado: Jay Biggerstaff / USA Today)