Marcus Semien won the American League Gold Glove Award at second base on Sunday, capping off a fantastic 2021 season.
Semien’s first career Gold Glove Award came at a very new position for the veteran player at the age of 31.
Semien had been an everyday shortstop for the A’s since 2015 and hadn’t played second base regularly since 2014 with the White Sox, but he joined the Blue Jays on Jan. 30 on a one-year, $18 million deal.
Semien is the club’s first second baseman since Orlando Hudson in 2005 and the first Blue Jays player to win a Gold Glove Award since Marcus Stroman in 2017.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he’s only the third non-rookie to earn the award at a position where he played fewer than 30 games the previous season.
Nobody in the Blue Jays’ clubhouse or front office is surprised by this accolade.
Semien’s praises were repeated throughout the Blue Jays’ 91-71 season, from the top of the roster to the bottom, and from seasoned executives to rookie instructors.
Semien’s glove also merits some notice at this juncture, given how much attention was focused on his offense during the year. With 45 home runs, Semien set an AL/NL record for second baseman home runs.
Semien needed a month to get going, but he earned AL Player of the Month in May and formed a one-two punch in the top third of the order with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Those two may soon find themselves in the top three of the AL MVP vote.
How Many Gold Gloves Does Marcus Semien Have?
Marcus Semien has one Gold Glove to his name. He won the prestigious for the first time award in 2021