Hunting for Pence

I think it's very difficult to pick the top nine National League defensive players for the Gold Glove. I don't pay much attention to the award, because it is difficult to judge players on their defensive performance. So many factors go into how good a player is defensively, and some of those factors are practically immeasurable from watching a game on television.

That said, I'm surprised Hunter Pence didn't earn himself the award this season. The Astros outfielder matched Gold Glove winner Nate McClouth's fielding percentage (.997) and was better than Gold Glovers Shane Victorino (.994) and Carlos Beltran (.993). Pence gunned down 16 base runners from the outfield which was tied for most in the majors. He also played for the best defensive team in the league, and somehow Houston didn't earn a single Gold Glover.

Pence is not the most graceful fielder in the world, but he's done a competent job for the Astros.