Juan Ocampo/Los Angeles Dodgers

By Cary Osborne

Justin Turner could become the first Dodger third baseman to ever win a Rawlings Gold Glove Award. Turner was named a finalist today, and he makes a strong argument for the award.

Among National League third baseman, Turner ranked first in Fangraphs’ total defense stat at 16.2, well ahead of Washington’s Anthony Rendon who was at 12.9. Turner was second in the Majors in the stat to Texas’ Adrian Beltre (16.5). He ranked first in the Majors among all third baseman with a UZR/150 (a defensive run value scaled to an average number of chances for a season) of 17.2.

Turner was third in defensive runs saved (seven), behind Colorado’s Nolan Arenado’s 20 and Rendon’s eight, also according to Fangraphs. Among qualifying third baseman, his nine errors were tied for the lowest with Miami’s Martin Prado and he tied for third with a .972 fielding percentage.