Freddie Freeman has his long-awaited Gold Glove. Ender Inciarte continued his artistry. And Nick Markakis capped his career year.
The Braves cleaned up the 2018 Gold Glove awards. Freeman, Inciarte and Markakis each earned the prestigious honor, which is awarded to the best individual defender at his position in his respective league.
Three Gold Gloves marks the franchise’s new high for one season (the award began in 1957).
Inciarte claimed his third consecutive Gold Glove in center field, becoming the first Brave to do so since Andruw Jones owned the title for a decade.
“Winning the Gold Glove award means everything to me,” Inciarte said in a statement released by the team. “It is a good feeling knowing that all the work I put in every offseason has paid off. I want to keep getting better and receiving this award because the feeling never gets old.”
Freeman tied the Cubs’ Anthony Rizzo, so both players were declared winners. Freeman is the first first baseman in Braves history to achieve such. It was the fourth tie in Gold Glove history.
“This is an incredible honor to win a Gold Glove award,” Freeman said in a statement. “I take a lot of pride in my defense; it’s just as important to me as my offense. I want to thank everyone who voted for me. It means a lot to me to win a Gold Glove.”
Markakis, coming off his first All-Star season, won his first Gold Glove since 2014 and third overall. The soon-to-be 35-year old is a free agent.
“This is a great honor to be recognized with the Gold Glove award,” Markakis said in a statement. “We play a lot of games throughout the season and winning awards isn’t what you strive for; the most important part to me is working to help my team win. If you are rewarded at the end of the year with an award, then it’s a plus.”
The last major league team to have two Gold Glove outfielders in the same season was the 2014 Orioles with Markakis and Adam Jones. It’s the second time in franchise history the Braves have had two outfielders win in the same season after Jones and Jeff Francoeur both won in 2007.
The Braves had an MLB-high-tying five Gold Glove finalists. Left fielder Adam Duvall and pitcher Julio Teheran were also among the top three at their position.
Arizona’s Zack Greinke topped Teheran, winning his fifth straight Gold Glove. Pittsburgh’s Corey Dickerson took the left-field honor.
