The glass trophy case inside Nolan Arenado’s workout facility in Southern California got even more crowded this week.
Friday night, the Rockies’ star third baseman won his fourth consecutive Rawlings Platinum Glove Award, presented to the best overall defensive player in the National League. Kansas City Royals left fielder Alex Gordon won the AL award for the second time.
On Tuesday, Arenado won his eighth consecutive Gold Glove Award, extending his own record for most consecutive Gold Gloves to begin an infielder’s career.
Arenado led all of baseball with 15 defensive runs saved during the 2020 season, and he finished tied with outfielders Jackie Bradley Jr. and Luis Robert for the most Outs Above Average in MLB, with seven.
Arenado, with his strong arm, quickness and keen baseball instincts, continues to pull off highlight-reel plays.
Arenado was asked on MLB Network what was the most difficult play for him. His response: “I think the backhand is always the hardest play. Your body is going toward the third-base dugout and you’ve gotta throw the ball across your body — that’s always the toughest play. That’s probably the play I work on the most and is the hardest one for me. It’s just, you try to get better as much as you can, and that’s what it’s all about.”
Arenado, as usual, gave credit to his teammates for making him better.
“Those guys have made my life a lot easier,” he said. “When I see (their) range and make plays, I want to range and make plays also. I remember in my rookie year, I played with Troy Tulowitzki, and I just tried to stay out of his way. But after a while, he used to tell me to just go get it and be aggressive. That’s just kind of how we are — we push each other, and it’s always made me a better fielder.”