San Diego Padres: Myers Underrated Defensively, Deserves Gold Glove

San Diego Padres’ first baseman Wil Myers is often recognized as a threat in the lineup. He doesn’t get as much credit for his stellar defensive play though. Now, as a Gold Glove finalist, the superstar is beginning to receive the recognition he has earned.

The San Diego Padres are very fortunate to have Wil Myers. Offensively, he is a force, driving in 94 runs in 2016. His power and ability to come through the clutch even netted him an opportunity to hit cleanup in the all-star game. But even though it is hard to get past what Myers can do with a bat, it is impossible to ignore his abilities with a glove on his left hand.

Thankfully, Major League Baseball has not overlooked Myers. The finalists were announced for the 2016 Gold Glove Awards, and Myers was among them.

It’s hard to compete with some of the other finalists. Paul Goldschmidt and Anthony Rizzo are the other two finalists for the first base position, so many do not consider Myers as the favorite.

But the 25-year-old has earned it, committing just three errors in 149 games played at first base. These three errors came in 1325 total chances, resulting in an impressive .998 fielding percentage. This is among the highest in all of baseball, yet Myers is not normally recognized for his glove. Undoubtedly, the former Tampa Bay Ray is extremely underrated as a first baseman.

The consistency Myers brings with his glove is what makes him most valuable, but it’s not like he is incapable of flashing the leather. Plays like these over at first base appeared routine at times for the budding star.

https://twitter.com/Padres/status/792057022011154432

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Whether or not Myers will come away with the award doesn’t define the sort of defensive season he has put forth. This kind of consistency at first base is unprecedented in Padres’ history. The team is very fortunate to have found such a productive player both at the plate and in the field.

Re-signing Myers, possibly long term, ought to be one of A.J. Preller’s top priorities this winter. But as the 2016 World Series winds down, and Myers has been recognized for stellar defensive play, this may not be as easy as many hope. Regardless, the Padres can look forward to more of the same from Myers if he does end up staying long term: Gold Glove caliber consistency.

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The winners of the Gold Glove Awards will be announced on November 8th at 5:00 PM PT on ESPN. Fans can tune in to see if Myers can reel in even more recognition for his stellar defensive season and win his first Gold Glove Award.