Jason Heyward, the young Atlanta Braves outfielder known for his batting prowess, won the Gold Glove Award for National League right fielders, the first Brave to so since outfielders Andruw Jones and Jeff Francoeur won in 2007.
Heyward, from metro Atlanta, displayed a keen sense of timing on balls hit in his area, robbing several players of home runs by making spectacular leaps above the right-field fence and pulling back the ball.
“He’s the best I’ve ever seen in right field going back on a baseball,” Braves veteran backup catcher David Ross said to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution of Heyward. “It may be because of his height and speed combined. He can really go back. And it allows him to play a shallow right field, which I like as a catcher because I want my pitcher to be rewarded and not give up so many hits on bloopers and broken bats.”
Heyward, 6 foot 5, is of the fastest players on the team, which helped in his production in the field. He won the Gold Glove over Cincinnati’s Jay Bruce and the Dodgers’ Andre Ethier.
The third-year player also has a strong throwing arm and his 11 outfield assists tied San Francisco’s Hunter Pence for the NL lead among right fielders. Also, Heyward made just five errors for the third-best fielding percentage among NL right fielders.
Heyward, 23, had already won the Fielding Bible Award as the majors’ best right fielder for 2012. That award was based solely on statistical analysis, while the Gold Glove awards are determined in voting by major league managers and coaches.
Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman and the entire Atlanta starting outfield were nominated for Gold Gloves this year, with Martin Prado among the finalists in left field and Michael Bourn in center. Colorado’s Carlos Gonzalez won in left and Pittsburgh’s Andruw McCutchen in center, denying Bourn what would’ve been his third Gold Glove in four years.
Washington Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche, a former Brave, beat out Freeman and Cincinnati’s Joey Votto.
The Reds led the majors with six Gold Glove finalists, while the Braves were second in the NL with four. Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina won his fifth consecutive Gold Glove.
Baltimore catcher Matt Wieters, a former Georgia Tech star, won his second consecutive American League Gold Glove, and former Braves first baseman Mark Teixeira won his fifth.
In a surprise decision, Baltimore’s Adam Jones beat out Angels rookie sensation Mike Trout for the AL Gold Glove in center field.
