Colorado Rockies: Daniel Bard named NL Comeback Player of the Year; Nolan Arenado, Charlie Blackmon nominated for Gold Gloves

With Thursday being an off-day for the World Series, MLB and Rawlings decided to announce winners and nominees for awards, which include a few Colorado Rockies.

On Thursday, Colorado Rockies reliever Daniel Bard was officially named the winner of the MLBPA’s choice for the National League’s Comeback Player of the Year. Also, Rawlings announced the finalists for the Gold Glove award winners for each position. Unsurprisingly, Nolan Arenado was nominated for National League third baseman but Charlie Blackmon was nominated for the National League for right fielders, which is more surprising than Arenado.

For the NL Comeback Player, the other nominees along with Bard were San Diego Padres outfielder Wil Myers and Atlanta Braves outfielder Adam Duvall for the award.

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Along with Arenado for the NL Gold Glove Award for third basemen, Miami Marlins third baseman Brian Anderson and San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado were nominated. For right field, along with Blackmon, Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts and Chicago Cubs right fielder Jason Heyward were nominated.

Arenado, according to FanGraphs’ Defensive Runs Saved, had the best year he has ever had defensively. He had an astonishing 15 DRS (with both FanGraphs and Baseball-Reference) in just 48 games, putting him on a pace for 51 in 162 games. The most Arenado has ever had in a full season is 22. That 15 DRS was number one among all players in both leagues and among NL third basemen, Machado is a distant second with 7 DRS.

Blackmon was 4th among NL qualifying right fielders in DRS with -1 (according to FanGraphs). Ahead of him were the aforementioned Betts (11 fDRS) and Heyward (1 DRS) and Arizona Diamondbacks right fielder Kole Calhoun (0 fDRS).

In other words, Arenado is likely to run away with his eighth straight Gold Glove (in eight seasons played in the majors) and Blackmon will likely lose out to the right fielder of the NL Champion Dodgers, Mookie Betts. The winners will be officially announced during the offseason.