Carlos Santana signed with the Twins before last season to provide some home run power.
As a bonus, the Twins got what turned out to be the best defensive first baseman in the American League.
Santana, a 38-year-old who was in his 15th major league season, won his first Gold Glove on Sunday night. He led all AL first basemen with +14 outs above average, and beat out the other finalists, Ryan Mountcastle of the Orioles and Nathaniel Lowe of the Rangers.
“I’ve been very lucky to be around some excellent, excellent first baseman in my days and he is as good as any first baseman I’ve ever been around and I’ve been around some of the best,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said near the end of the season. “There’s been some great first baseman in our game over the last 25 years. He’s right up there with the best of them.”
Twins shortstop Carlos Correa, during the season, said: “He’s making everybody on our infield better every single day, with the way he picks every single throw that we throw in the dirt. I think when you seriously consider his [defensive] numbers, there’s nobody better in the American League, numbers wise. I think he should be the Gold Glove winner, for sure.”
Santana played in 150 games and hit 23 home runs. He is Twins’ first Gold Glove winner since center fielder Byron Buxton and second baseman Brian Dozier won in 2017. Doug Mientkiewicz (2001) and Vic Power (1962-63) are the only other Twins first basemen to win Gold Gloves.
Managers and coaches vote on the Gold Glove winners in their league, putting together 75 percent of the winning formula. Sabermetrics are used for 25 percent of determining a winner.
Willi Castro of the Twins was a finalist for the AL Utility Player Gold Glove along with Mauricio Dubón of Houston and Dylan Moore of Seattle.
