Nolan Arenado wins third consecutive Gold Glove in no-brainer voting

In the least dramatic voting in all of the Major League Baseball awards, Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado won his third consecutive Gold Glove at third base.

With what seemed like a highlight reel play at least once a night, Arenado redefined what should be expected from a third baseman. He didn’t just make plays to one side or the other, he made plays to both sides, over the shoulder catches, and throws from deep in the foul territory side of third base.

It could be argued that Arenado had wrapped up the award before the end of April after he made a ridiculous catch while crashing over the tarp in San Francisco on a foul ball from Brandon Crawford. The catch wouldn’t be touched by any other play all season long.

The irony of Arenado winning a Gold Glove in each of his first three full big league seasons is that the knock on him after he was drafted was that he would never be good enough defensively to handle third base at the big league level. Almost every scout suggested that the Rockies move him to first base and hope that he didn’t become a liability there.

In a testament to his hard work, Arenado not only proved those scouts wrong, but he made them seem foolish in how good he has become at the position.

It almost goes without saying that he is the best third baseman in baseball, but when expert analysts are comparing him to Brooks Robinson as one of the best defensive third baseman ever, it speaks volumes.

The Rockies have a blossoming superstar in Arenado. As he enters his arbitration years, the club needs to find a way to lock him up for the long-term and ensure that he won’t be playing in something other than purple pinstripes for years to come.