Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte and right fielder Nick Markakis are finalists for National League Gold Glove awards.
Inciarte thrilled Braves fans with spectacular and creative defensive plays all season, now he’s a finalist along with Cincinnati’s Billy Hamilton and Philadelphia’s Odubel Herrera for the award as the NL’s top defensive center fielder.
Markakis, who won American League Gold Gloves with Baltimore in 2011 and 2014, is a first-time finalist in the National League in his second season with the Braves. The other NL right-field finalists include the Cubs’ Jason Heyward, whom Markakis replaced in Atlanta, and Colorado’s Carlos Gonzalez.
Heyward won Gold Gloves for the Braves in 2012 and 2014 and for St. Louis in 2015.
Gold Glove winners will be announced Nov. 9.
In his third major league season and first with the Braves, Inciarte ranked second among NL outfielders in assists, with 14, including a league-high 12 in center field. This despite missing a month with a hamstring strain and starting only 117 games in center (he also made nine starts in left field).
Inciarte and Hamilton tied for third among NL outfielders in defensive runs saved with 15 apiece, and no other NL center fielder had as many as 10. Inciarte ranked second among NL outfielders in putouts, with 351, trailing Herrera (372). No other NL outfielder had as many as 320.
Hamilton (13.4) and Inciarte (13.3) ranked second and third among NL outfielders in UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating) behind Heyward (20.4).
The Braves got Inciarte along with shortstop prospect Dansby Swanson and pitching prospect Aaron Blair in a December 2015 trade for pitcher Shelby Miller. Inciarte, who turns 26 on Friday, overcame a slow start to hit .291 with 34 extra-base hits, 16 stolen bases and career-bests in OBP (.351), triples (seven) and runs (85) in 131 games.
Inciarte was among the majors’ most productive leadoff hitters after the All-Star break, batting .341 with 100 hits, a .396 OBP and .836 OPS in 72 games.
Markakis, who turns 33 on Nov. 17, regained his offensive power and defensive arm strength in 2016 in his second season since having neck surgery in December 2014, shortly after signing a four-year, $44 million contract with the Braves.
His 10 defensive runs saved were second-most among NL right fielders behind Heyward (14), and Markakis’ 311 putouts were 46 above the next-highest total by an NL right fielder.
After averaging more than 15 homers per season in nine years with the Orioles, including 10 or more in each season, Markakis hit three homers in his first season with the Braves in 2015. He raised that total to 13 homers in 2016 and had 89 RBIs, the third-highest total of his career.
