Wilyer Abreu secures big honor.
Moreover, Abreu’s Gold Glove honor was the first Boston rookie to achieve the honor since Fred Lynn way back in 1975 , according to Ian Browne of MLB.com.
More from Browne:
“Per Elias, he is just the seventh rookie outfielder to win a Gold Glove, joining Tommy Agee (1966), Lynn, Ichiro Suzuki (2001), Luis Robert (2020), Steven Kwan (2022) and Brenton Doyle (2023).”
Advanced stats definitely reinforce Abreu’s Gold Glove win. He is on the 91st percentile in the big leagues in terms of outs above average, 95th in arm value, and 98th in arm strength, per Baseball Savant.
The 25-year-old Abreu finished the 2024 season third in the American League with 15 total zone runs and first in assists as a right fielder in the AL.
Abreu was pretty decent with his bat in the 2024 season as well. He hit .253/.322/.459 with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs across 132 games and 447 plate appearances. He has some work to do in order for his offense to match his fielding, but he seems to be in the right direction after posting a 114 OPS+ in his first full season in the majors. He struck out a lot (28 percent strikeout rate) and did not walk much (9 percent walk rate), but he can enhance those numbers as he continues to develop.
Social media, Red Sox fans celebrate Wilyer Abreu’s Gold Glove win
People on the internet shared their thoughts as well on Abreu’s Gold Glove success.
“Well deserved honor for Wilyer Abreu. This year he was in the 91st percentile for outs above average, 95th for arm value and 98th for arm strength. Doesn’t get much better than that in right field.” – @IanCundall
