{"id":4359,"date":"2024-11-04T09:32:54","date_gmt":"2024-11-04T09:32:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=4359"},"modified":"2024-11-04T09:32:54","modified_gmt":"2024-11-04T09:32:54","slug":"cubs-ian-happ-earns-his-third-straight-nl-gold-glove","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=4359","title":{"rendered":"Cubs’ Ian Happ earns his third straight NL Gold Glove"},"content":{"rendered":"

Set up right behind\u00a0Chicago Cubs<\/strong>\u00a0left fielder\u00a0Ian Happ<\/strong>\u00a0on a Zoom call Sunday night was a piece of gold hardware.<\/p>\n

That would be the first Gold Glove trophy of his career, which he won as the National Leagues\u2019 Gold Glove winner for left field in 2022. His second Gold Glove, which he again won for left field in 2023, is stationed up in Chicago.<\/p>\n

Now, he\u2019ll be adding another to his collection.<\/p>\n

Happ was once again named a finalist for the NL\u2019s left-field Gold Glove award back in mid-October, along with Arizona\u2019s Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Philadelphia\u2019s Brandon Marsh, and Sunday, he officially completed the three-peat.<\/p>\n

This trophy, he said, will likely go right next to his second one back in Chicago.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s nice to be able to spread them around a little bit,\u201d Happ said. \u201cPretty lucky to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

For his first few seasons in the big leagues, Happ wasn\u2019t able to find a defensive home with Cubs.<\/p>\n

He played five different positions in his rookie season, and in both 2018 and 2019, he manned six (plus a pitching appearance in \u201918). That continued in the shortened 2020 season, when he played all three outfield spots and first base, and in 2021, he again spent time at five different positions.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t until the last half of that year that he got the opportunity to stick mostly in left field. That led into 2022, when Happ played all but 12 defensive innings in left, and it was then that he began his current run of defensive success as the Cubs\u2019 everyday left fielder<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be able to be in the big leagues on some great teams and bounce around and play a bunch of different positions and do what those groups needed from me was important,\u201d Happ said, \u201cbut to really get a chance to stay in one spot, to be comfortable, to learn, to be able to have the chance to kind of dominate that one area was a really awesome opportunity in the back end of \u201921 and then in \u201922.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, there was a lot of positions on the field I thought I could play, but to finally get an opportunity to be at one and really find a position and to have it pay off like this, with the consistency and the ability to actually have a couple of those Gold Gloves to show all the work that I put into it, that part is really cool.\u201d<\/p>\n

Happ is the first Cubs outfielder to win the award three years in a row. He joins Jason Heyward (2016-17), Andre Dawson (1987-88) and Bob Dernier (1984) as the four Cubs outfielders to be named Gold Glovers.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnytime in this organization that\u2019s been around for so long, when you get your name mentioned like that, first do something, it\u2019s always pretty cool,\u201d Happ said. \u201cSo, a lot of hard work, and being able to do it three straight times is a really special accomplishment. This award means a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among NL left fielders with at least 650 innings, Happ led the way with eight Defensive Runs Saved and an 11.0 UZR\/150. While his -3 Outs Above Average and -1 Fielding Run Value (both per Statcast) did fall behind both Gurriel and Marsh, his overall defensive effort was enough to earn him his third straight Gold Glove nod.<\/p>\n

Happ led NL left fielders with 11 assists, and he made only one error, clearing Gurriel and Marsh in both areas.\u00a0His assist total\u00a0was also tied for the most among all NL outfielders and was one back of being the most in the majors.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the throwing was really good the last two years, and so maintaining that and having that be consistent was great.\u201d Happ said when asked what part of his defensive performance he was most proud of this season. \u201cAnd kind of bouncing back from last year to having a better year tracking down the baseball and going to catch balls. Last year, I was really proud of the throwing, and it kind of carried me into this year to be able to put both of those together again, like I did in \u201922.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Cubs\u2019 other Gold Glove finalist,\u00a0Dansby Swanson<\/strong>, was unable to secure his own three-peat, as he was beaten out by Colorado\u2019s Ezequiel Tovar. Swanson\u2019s up-the-middle partner,\u00a0Nico Hoerner<\/strong>, wasn\u2019t named a finalist after he won the NL Gold Glove at second base last year.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t take away from what those guys are able to do in the middle of the diamond and how special they are,\u201d Happ said. \u201cWe get to watch them on a daily basis, so maybe I\u2019m biased, but I know how good those guys are and how, year in and year out, they come in as favorites to win the Gold Glove at the start of year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Arguably the biggest question facing the\u00a0Chicago Cubs<\/strong>\u00a0was\u00a0Cody Bellinger<\/strong>\u00a0and if he\u2019d stick around on the North Side for 2025 or opt out of the last two years of the three-year, $80 million contract he signed in late February.<\/p>\n

As reported\u00a0by ESPN\u2019s Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan\u00a0on Saturday, Bellinger has made his decision: He will not exercise the opt-out in his contract, remaining with the Cubs instead of entering free agency for the third straight offseason.<\/p>\n

By staying put, he\u2019ll receive $27.5 million in 2025. His deal also includes a player option for 2026.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Set up right behind\u00a0Chicago Cubs\u00a0left fielder\u00a0Ian Happ\u00a0on a Zoom call Sunday night was a piece of gold hardware. 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