The Rawlings Gold Glove Awards in the Major Leagues are handed out each year to the player that’s supposedly the best defender at each position in each league. In the Minor Leagues, things are a little bit different. There are six levels (assuming we count complex level rookie leagues and non-complex level rookie leagues separately, as well as Low-A and Advanced-A as separate leagues) in the minors. Within those levels there are also multiple leagues. Because of that, the Minor League Gold Glove Awards are handed out to just one player at each position throughout the entire minors. At the shortstop position it was Cincinnati Reds prospect Blake Trahan who got the nod and will be bringing home the hardware for 2018.
Drafted in the 3rd round of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft, Blake Trahan has worked his way up to the Majors. After playing in Triple-A with Louisville all season, the Reds brought him up in September in 2018. He got into 11 games, racked up 14 plate appearances and played 34.2 innings in the field.
With the Louisville Bats he played in 129 games in 2018. 127 of those games came at the shortstop position. In his 1102.2 innings played he only made eight errors. That was good for a .984 fielding percentage. That mark was the best in the minors and is what is used to determine who wins the award. He was also a part of 66 double plays turned during the season.
Blake Trahan has always been rather sure handed and made quality throws. His first year as a pro he made 10 errors and posted a .962 fielding percentage. This was by far the worst year of his professional career in the field. In 2016 he spent the entire year with Daytona and had a .974 fielding percentage. The next year he was in Pensacola all season and had a .982 fielding percentage, making just nine errors on the year. In his limited big league action he didn’t make an error. He had 21.1 innings at short, 9.1 at third base, and 4.0 at second.
Trahan joins Vincej, Barnhart as past Reds winners
Blake Trahan is the second Reds minor leaguer to win a Gold Glove at the shortstop position. Former Reds prospect Zach Vincej won the award in 2016. Tucker Barnhart also won the award for catchers several years ago.