Three Cardinals are among the National League finalists at the positions for the annual Rawlings Gold Glove award:

1) Nolan Arenado at third base
2) Brendan Donovan in the utility fielder category
3) Masyn Winn at shortstop.

To me, among the three Redbirds, Winn has the best shot at striking gold. But the competition at shortstop is formidable. Some fielding-system ratings have Winn at the top of NL shortstops -- but other defensive models have Winn out of the top three -- or even the top five. The votes of NL managers and coaches make up 75 percent of the Gold Glove criteria -- with the other 25% being statistical excellence. So in the end, the final results, which will be announced Nov. 3, will likely come down to how the managers and coaches valued Winn's defensive skill in 2024 ... and it could come down to their personal standards (or preferences) for evaluating defense. Winn would probably win the so-called eye test ... but that doesn't mean he'll win the Gold Glove.