ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Minor League Baseball and Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc., today announced the nine recipients of the 2018 Rawlings Gold Glove Award® for defensive excellence. The winners at each position were selected from players in the 10 domestic-based, full-season Minor Leagues. Each player will receive his own
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Minor League Baseball and Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc., today announced the nine recipients of the 2018 Rawlings Gold Glove Award® for defensive excellence. The winners at each position were selected from players in the 10 domestic-based, full-season Minor Leagues. Each player will receive his own Rawlings Gold Glove Award, modeled after the iconic award given to Major League Baseball's top defensive players, during the 2019 season.
"We're proud to recognize the Minor League recipients of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award® who've continually showcased their superior defensive skills throughout the 2018 season," said Mike Thompson, Chief Marketing Officer for Rawlings. "Our long-standing partnership with Minor League Baseball continues to grow and evolve and we're proud to share this prestigious award platform with its athletes."
"This group has set the standard for defensive excellence in Minor League Baseball, and I am pleased to honor these nine recipients with a Rawlings Gold Glove Award®," said Minor League Baseball President & CEO Pat O'Conner. "On behalf of Minor League Baseball and our tremendous partners at Rawlings, I congratulate each of them on their outstanding seasons."
The 2018 Minor League Baseball recipients of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award® are as follows:
Evan White posted a .996 fielding percentage in 972 total chances for the Modesto Nuts and Tacoma Rainiers. White, 22, played 110 games at first base and recorded 894 putouts as a midseason and postseason All-Star in the California League. White was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the first round of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Kentucky.
Second baseman Daniel Brito recorded a .988 fielding percentage in 116 games, the highest mark among second basemen in Minor League Baseball. The 20-year-old handled 418 total chances in 92 games for Class A Lakewood, and 101 more in 24 games for Class A Advanced Clearwater, helping turn 78 double plays across the two levels. Brito was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies as a free agent out of Ciudad Guyana, Venezuela, on July 14, 2014.
Louisville Bats shortstop Blake Trahan posted a .984 fielding percentage in 127 games. Trahan, 25, handled 493 total chances, had a hand in 66 double plays and finished with 335 assists at shortstop. Trahan was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the third round of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Louisiana-Lafayette.
Altoona Curve third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes is the only repeat winner among this year's recipients. Hayes led Minor League Baseball third basemen with a .978 fielding percentage in 116 games at the hot corner. The 21-year-old committed only six errors in 278 total chances, while recording 200 assists. Hayes was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first round of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft out of Concordia Lutheran High School in Tomball, Texas.
Biloxi Shuckers left fielder Troy Stokes Jr. played 114 of his 123 defensive games in left field and led all Minor League left fielders with a .995 fielding percentage, making just one error in 205 total chances. The Milwaukee Brewers selected Stokes Jr. in the fourth round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft out of Calvert Hall High School in Baltimore, Maryland.
Center fielder Bryce Johnson recorded a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in 112 games, handling 219 total chances. The 22-year-old also recorded seven outfield assists. Johnson was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the sixth round of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft out of Sam Houston State University.
Augusta GreenJackets right fielder Logan Baldwin recorded 13 outfield assists and a .991 fielding percentage in 100 games, making just two errors in 220 total chances. Baldwin, 22, was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 21st round of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft out of Georgia Southern University.
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers catcher Payton Henry posted a .996 fielding percentage in 93 games behind the plate, allowing just six passed balls in 805.1 innings. Henry recorded 78 assists and picked off four runners while throwing out 43.8 percent (46 of 105) of would-be base stealers. Henry, 21, was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the sixth round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of Pleasant Grove High School in Pleasant Grove, Utah.
Left-handed pitcher Bernardo Flores posted a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage while handling 43 total chances in 156 innings pitched over 25 starts for Winston-Salem and Birmingham. The 23-year-old opened the season in Class A Advanced Winston-Salem before a June 21 promotion to Double-A Birmingham. Flores was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the seventh round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Southern California.
2018 Rawlings Gold Glove Award® Winners
