Carlos Gomez and his golden glove

Perhaps the one moral victory the Milwaukee Brewers could salvage from this past season would be if center fielder Carlos Gomez were awarded with the Gold Glove. Of course, we know Gomez is a vastly underrated player and his work out in center field this year definitely has to rank him near the top of the list for the recipients.

Will Gomez be the first Brewer since Robin Yount in 1982 to win the award?

Carlos Gomez made these types of catches look routine. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports

One of the things that stands out (at least in my mind) about Gomez is his ability to use his body like a rag-doll to make catches. Several times this previous season, Gomez would collide against the wall to rob a home run or an extra base hit. Occasionally it would shake him up and there was an instance later in the season when he had to sit out for about a week because of hurting his shoulder. Gomez has made some incredible catches in center field and I don’t think many other center fielders in the National League could say the same.

Not only did Gomez rob multiple hitters of the long ball this season, but overall he had an UZR (ultimate zone rating) of 24.4, which by far was the best out of all the center fielders in both leagues this season. Ranking Gomez defensively out of all the outfielders, he is second only to the Arizona Diamondbacks’ right fielder Gerardo Parra who had a rating of 31.1. It’s a no-brainer that Gomez should have this award locked up because if you look across the board at stats like DRS (defensive runs saved), put-outs and assists, he’s at the top in all of the categories.

Even if Gomez walks away without the award, we still know that his glove is certainly golden. Gomez provided fans an opportunity to find excitement in a lost season and come on, who doesn’t love seeing Gomez rob even some of the best hitters? It certainly makes us curious as fans to see what spectacular plays he’ll make next season.

There’s really not much of an argument against Gomez at his position, because in 2013 he was simply the best at it. When Major League Baseball announces the winner of the Gold Gloves at each position in a week, I’d expect to hear Gomez’s name called. After all, he proved his worth this season by not only rewarding the Brewers with the contract they gave him, but by becoming an All-Star and perhaps one of the most entertaining outfielders in the game.

Stats courtesy of FanGraphs.