The results are in, and they’re as unanimous as possible: Matt Chapman was the best defensive player in the majors in 2018. The Oakland A’s third baseman won the AL Platinum Glove award on Friday, completing a clean sweep of every major fielding honor that exists in baseball.
The Platinum Glove is an offshoot of the Gold Glove awards, administered by sports equipment company Rawlings since 2011. It is decided entirely by a fan vote, with the general public picking between that year’s nine Gold Glove winners in each league to determine the top overall fielder in the AL and NL.