List of Gold Glove Award winners at catcher

A baseball player in uniform runs across the infield.
Iván Rodríguez has won 13 Gold Gloves, the most among catchers.

The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), as voted by the managers and coaches in each league.[1] Managers are not permitted to vote for their own players.[1] Eighteen Gold Gloves are awarded each year (with the exception of 1957, 1985, 2007 and 2018), one at each of the nine positions in each league. In 1957, the baseball glove manufacturer Rawlings created the Gold Glove Award to commemorate the best fielding performance at each position.[2] The award was created from a glove made from gold lamé-tanned leather and affixed to a walnut base.[3] Initially, only one Gold Glove per position was awarded to the top fielder at each position in the entire league;[2] however, separate awards were given for the National and American Leagues beginning in 1958.[4][5]

Iván Rodríguez has won the most Gold Gloves at catcher, with 13; all were won with the Texas Rangers or the Detroit Tigers (both American League teams), though Rodríguez has played in both leagues.[6] Johnny Bench, who spent his entire career with the Cincinnati Reds, leads National Leaguers in wins, and is second overall with 10 Gold Gloves.[7] Yadier Molina is third overall and second in the NL all time with nine.[8] Bob Boone, who is a member of one of four family pairs to win Gold Glove Awards, won seven between both leagues during his career.[9] Jim Sundberg has won six Gold Gloves,[10] with Bill Freehan and Salvador Pérez winning five.[11][12] There have been four 4-time winners at catcher: Del Crandall, Mike Matheny, Charles Johnson, and Tony Peña.[13][14][15][16] Hall of Famers who have won as catchers include Bench, Rodriguez, Carlton Fisk, and Gary Carter.[7][6][17][18][d] The other family pair to win Gold Gloves as catchers are brothers Bengie and Yadier Molina, who have won eleven awards between them as of the end of the 2018 season.[19][8]

J. T. Realmuto set the record for putouts among winning catchers in 2022; he put out 1,151 batters for the Philadelphia Phillies that season.[20] In the American League, the leader is Roberto Pérez, with 1,082 putouts in 2019.[21] Assist leaders include Carter (108 in 1980) in the National League and the major leagues and Sundberg (103 in 1977) in the American League.[10][18] Five Gold Glove-winning catchers have posted errorless seasons with a 1.000 fielding percentage: Johnson (1997),[15] Matheny (2003),[14] Salvador Pérez (2018),[12], Tucker Barnhart (2020),[22] and Roberto Pérez (2020).[21] Johnny Edwards and Johnson hold the major league record for double plays turned among winners, with 17 each.[15][23] Edwards doubled off 17 runners in 1964,[23] and Johnson matched his total in 1997.[15] The American League leaders are Ray Fosse, Boone and Matt Wieters (16 double plays in 1971, 1986 and 2011, respectively).[9][24][25] Bench (NL; 1975), Roberto Pérez (AL; 2019–2020) and Jacob Stallings (NL; 2021) hold the record for the least passed balls in a season with zero.[7][21][26] Roberto Pérez has the highest percentage of baserunners caught stealing, with a 71% mark set in 2020.[21] Bench is the National League leader; he threw out 57% of potential base-stealers in 1969.[7]

  1. ^ a b "A-Rod breaks Vizquel's streak; AL West earns eight of nine". Sports Illustrated. November 13, 2002. Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2009. {{cite magazine}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)
  2. ^ a b "Rawlings to Unveil Ballot". Rawlings. February 13, 2007. Archived from the original on February 5, 2009. Retrieved June 4, 2009. Members of the original 1957 Rawlings Gold Glove Team: Willie Mays, CF (New York Giants); Al Kaline, RF (Detroit Tigers); Minnie Minoso, LF (Chicago White Sox); Frank Malzone, 3B (Boston Red Sox); Nellie Fox, 2B (Chicago White Sox); Gil Hodges, 1B (Dodgers); Roy McMillan, SS (Cincinnati Reds); Sherm Lollar C (Chicago White Sox); and Bobby Shantz, P (New York Yankees).
  3. ^ "About the Award". Rawlings. Archived from the original on February 23, 2009. Retrieved June 4, 2009.
  4. ^ "National League Gold Glove Award Winners". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on May 28, 2019. Retrieved June 4, 2009.
  5. ^ "American League Gold Glove Award Winners". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved June 4, 2009.
  6. ^ a b "Ivan Rodriguez Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 26, 2009. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
  7. ^ a b c d "Johnny Bench Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on January 4, 2010. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
  8. ^ a b "Yadier Molina Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
  9. ^ a b "Bob Boone Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on January 9, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
  10. ^ a b "Jim Sundberg Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on October 26, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
  11. ^ "Bill Freehan Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 12, 2009. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
  12. ^ a b "Salvador Pérez Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on November 25, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
  13. ^ "Del Crandall Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 27, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
  14. ^ a b "Mike Matheny Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on June 8, 2009. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
  15. ^ a b c d "Charles Johnson Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on August 7, 2009. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
  16. ^ "Tony Pena Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on February 1, 2009. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
  17. ^ "Carlton Fisk Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on July 17, 2009. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
  18. ^ a b "Gary Carter Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on May 9, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
  19. ^ "Bengie Molina Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on February 12, 2010. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
  20. ^ "J.T. Realmuto Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on February 4, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  21. ^ a b c d "Roberto Pérez Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on February 23, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  22. ^ "Tucker Barnhart Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on November 10, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  23. ^ a b "Johnny Edwards Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 27, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
  24. ^ "Ray Fosse Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 30, 2009. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
  25. ^ "Matt Wieters Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  26. ^ "Jacob Stallings Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on July 23, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2023.