Yankees: Finalists make Aaron Judge Gold Glove snub look awful

Despite their organizational prominence, the New York Yankees seem to have trouble winning national awards and getting the recognition they deserve.

(emerges from a pile of banana peels) Don’t boo me, I’m right!

It’s almost the flip side of the “Yankees win too much!” whining coin. One title in 12 years is “too much”? And which is it? Because I was told I sucked, but now I’m too good?

Same thing for the major awards. Enough voters seem to have subtly deemphasized the Yankees in the MVP, Rookie of the Year and Cy Young conversations because they’ve been pummeled with “East Coast Bias” to the point where … it’s been a while since we’ve seen a pinstriped winner. If there’s a two-man race, I can guarantee you the voting body will give the nod to the non-Yankee who hasn’t bee plastered in their face for all 162.

Jose Altuve over Aaron Judge. Justin Morneau over Derek Jeter. Robbie Ray over Gerrit Cole in a few weeks! I can go on. But I won’t.

Thursday’s round of Gold Glove finalists put a bright, red bow on this age-old problem, and unfortunately, Judge was once again the victim. One of two or three players who actually deserves to get honored for their 2021 campaigns, the Yankees’ right fielder will not be honored for his fielding brilliance. Among the finalists are Kyle Tucker, Hunter Renfroe from the Red Sox, and the guy we acquired who deferred to Judge, Joey Gallo.

Yankees OF Aaron Judge got snubbed for the Gold Glove in right field.

Maybe we could’ve hoped for a ridiculous Rafael Palmeiro-esque move here, resulting in a Judge nomination in center field? Alas, nothing. Looks like the entire Rawlings committee was fooled by the flash of Hunter Renfroe’s hose! What gives, Rawlings?

Renfroe posted 16 outfield assists. Good! He also made 12 outfield errors, the most in the game. Bad! By mid-September, his arm had saved the Sox three runs and his poor positioning and clumsiness evened things out, costing them three runs. Sounds decidedly average to me.

Also, we can’t gloss over the fact that Joey Gallo was acquired by the Yankees midseason, where he was displaced in right field by Judge, the incumbent. Much of that was seniority and ego. Much of it was the fact that Judge is a superior right fielder. Gallo logged over 200 fewer innings in right field than Judge when all was said and done.

In positive news, Gallo and Judge are by far the best two right fielders mentioned here, and they’re both Yankees. Great!

For Judge to lose recognition for something he’s elite at to a teammate, a Red Sox and an Astro, though? It stings, and it’s just more misaligned nonsense.

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