Orioles shut out of Gold Glove awards; Pujols could be managerial candidate

The Orioles’ Gold Glove drought will continue in 2025. Not one Oriole was among the three finalists at each position. Overall, the Orioles have won only one Gold Glove in the past decade.

Ramón Urías was voted the top third baseman in 2022. He was the first Oriole Gold Glove winner since Manny Machado in 2015.

In 2023, catcher Adley Rutschman, first baseman Ryan Mountcastle and leftfielder Austin Hays were finalists. Mountcastle and leftfielder Colton Cowser were finalists last year.

Despite reducing his errors from 25 to 8, shortstop Gunnar Henderson was not among the three finalists. Henderson didn’t commit an error for 72 consecutive games with 289 consecutive errorless chances. He made only one error after June 8^th.

Henderson’s Defensive Runs Saved fell from five in 2024 to -3 in 2025.

Interim manager Tony Mansolino mentioned that he thought Henderson’s defense had improved greatly during the season despite the unfavorable metrics.

The three finalists at shortstop are Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr., who won it last season, Tampa Bay’s Taylor Walls and Texas’ Corey Seager.

Walls led all shortstops with 17 Defensive Runs Saved.

The Gold Glove awards haven’t been kind to the Orioles in recent years. Despite making numerous spectacular plays in center field, Cedric Mullins, who was traded to the New York Mets on July 31^st, was never a winner, though he was a finalist in 2022.

The 30 managers and up to six coaches on each team vote for the award, and they can’t vote for their own players. Those votes comprise 75 percent of the selection while the SABR Defensive Index counts for the other 25 percent.

The winners will be announced on ESPN on November 2^nd.

Award drought: The Orioles 45 years without a Cy Young Award winner will continue this year. While Trevor Rogers is likely to get some votes, Detroit’s Tarik Skubal and Boston’s Garrett Crochet look to be the top two contenders this season.

Every American League team but Texas, which has never had a pitcher win the award, has a Cy Young winner since Steve Stone won it for the Orioles in 1980.

The Orioles haven’t won a Most Valuable Player Award since Cal Ripken Jr. in 1991.

When Henderson won the Rookie of the Year Award in 2023, he was the first Oriole to win it since Gregg Olson in 1989.

Speaking of droughts, the Orioles have gone the fourth longest of any MLB team without appearing in a World Series. The Seattle Mariners, who are playing for the first appearance, began play in 1977. Pittsburgh, which beat the Orioles in 1979, has the second longest.

The Milwaukee Brewers, trying to come back from a 2-0 deficit against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series, reached the World Series for the only time in 1982, a year before the Orioles’ last appearance.

Who is Luis Rojas? The Orioles reportedly have interviewed Luis Rojas for their manager’s position.

Rojas was the manager of the New York Mets in 2020 and 2021, and has been the New York Yankees’ third base coach since 2022.

He comes from a storied baseball family. Rojas is the son of longtime major league manager Felipe Alou and the brother of Felipe Alou Jr., who was the fundamentals coach for Triple-A Norfolk last year.

Rojas signed with the Orioles for a reported $300,000 in 1999, but he never played for any of their minor league teams. He played just 37 games for Montreal’s Gulf Coast League team in 2004.

Interest in Pujols? According to ESPN, the Orioles are also interested in Albert Pujols, who reportedly has talked with the Los Angeles Angels about their vacant managing job.

Pujols has never coached or managed in the major leagues. His stellar career ended in 2022. He hit 703 home runs, fourth most in history and had 3,384 hits.

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