The Royals showed they could flash some leather this year, finishing fifth in baseball in Defensive Runs Above Average, according to Fangraphs. They could have as many as five Gold Glove finalists this season - Salvador Perez, Whit Merrifield, Nicky Lopez, Andrew Benintendi, and Michael A. Taylor. Let’s show the glove some love with a look back at the top Royals defensive plays of 2021.
April 14 - Salvy ends the game with a pickoff
Knock Salvador Perez for his framing all you want, but the man’s arm is still unrivaled in baseball. He threw out 44 percent of would-be basestealers, the highest rate of any catcher who caught at least 60 games, and led all catchers in assists.