This winter, the Chicago Cubs once again saw several of their players nominated as finalists for the prestigious Gold Glove Award, with Dansby Swanson at shortstop and Ian Happ in left field among them. For Happ, this marks the third consecutive year he aims to secure this accolade, and he arguably had his finest season yet, showcasing exceptional performance on both offense and defense.
His fellow finalists, Brandon Marsh and Lourdes Gurriel Jr., also delivered impressive defensive seasons. However, it would be surprising if Happ does not take home the award, as his key statistics stand out prominently. Let’s delve into some metrics that illustrate Happ’s dominance in two crucial categories:
Defensive Runs Saved:
- Happ: 8 DRS
- Marsh: 7 DRS
- Gurriel Jr.: 4 DRS
Defensive runs saved is a vital metric for assessing a player’s defensive contributions, and Happ led all left fielders in the National League in this area. Another straightforward way to highlight Happ’s superiority over his fellow finalists is by examining the fielding percentages within their respective sample sizes:
Fielding Percentage:
- Happ: .997 FPCT (one error in 1,248.1 innings)
- Gurriel: .980 FPCT (five errors in 1,059 innings)
- Marsh: .978 FPCT (three errors in 684 innings)
While one could argue that Happ did not lead in Outs Above Average or Runs Prevented according to Baseball Savant, he found himself in a similar situation last year. Although Gurriel boasted a perfect 1.000 FPCT in the previous season, Happ achieved a nearly flawless percentage in 2024. Given that he won the award last year, it stands to reason he deserves a repeat this season, having improved upon all the qualities that contributed to his success.
Happ’s exceptional defensive play in left field has been a key factor in the Cubs establishing one of the top outfield defenses in Major League Baseball, a priority that President Jed Hoyer has underscored in recent discussions. With his outstanding performance, it’s difficult to envision Happ not claiming his third consecutive Gold Glove Award.
