On September 8th, the Chicago Cubs manager David Ross made a case that Left Fielder Ian Happ should be included in the conversation on the Gold Glove Award that is awarded to the best defenders in each position in both of the leagues in the MLB.
David Ross said to NBC Sports “I haven’t watched the rest of the league, but I feel like he played one of the best left defensive fields in the league for me,”
“Hopefully he starts getting into the Gold Glove conversation.”
Who is Ian Happ?
Ian Edward Happ, born on August 12, 1994 is an American professional baseball player for the Chicago Cubs in the MLB.
Happ played college baseball at the University of Cincinnati for the Cincinnati Bearcats Baseball team.
In 2015, Ian Happ was selected in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft ( where he was considered one of the top prospects ) by the Chicago Cubs where he ended up making his MLB debut in 2017.
During the 2022 season, Ian Happ is currently hitting .271 with 17 Home Runs and 69 Runs Batted in, which has earned him his first All-Star selection.
An interesting fact about Ian Happ is that he hosts his own podcast, The Compound on the Jomboy Media network, a digital media company that produces content focused on sports and pop culture, and also a company that Happ invested in 2021.
Need someone to figure out how many times the boss has gone yard right before we record…feels like a high number!pic.twitter.com/xbe9k4qZJs
— The Compound (@thecompoundpod) September 7, 2022
Why Haps Deserves The Golden Glove
David Ross’ statement came after the Cubs lost 4-3 against the Reds on September 8th where during that game Ian Happ made 2 amazing highlights worth catches in left field, both in the third inning with the score tied.
Ian Happ entered that game with nine Defensive Runs saved, which was second in the major league among all the left fielders, only behind Cleveland Guardian Steven Kwan who had 16 runs saved.
As per the National League, Ian Happ was first by far in front of San Diego Padres Jurickson Profar who only had 3 Defensive Runs Saved.
As for another important defensive stat among the National League left fielders, Ian Happ stands second in Outs Above Average with one, behind the Cardinals Tyler O’Neil who had 2.
Happ also has eight outfield assists which rank third among MLB Left Fielders and has only two errors.
https://twitter.com/MLBastian/status/1567950923124842497?s=20&t=buvmOviGELyo-3OAZxaCCA
Ian Happ’s Defensive Metrics Comparison
Defensive Runs Saved
DRS quantifies a player’s entire defensive performance by attempting to measure how many runs a defender saved.)
2022: 10
2021: minus-2
Outs Above Average
Outs Above Average (OAA) is a range-based metric of skill that shows how many outs a player has saved. Prior to 2020, OAA was an outfield-only metric. Still, it has been expanded to include infielders.
2022: 1
2021: minus-5
Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR/150)
UZR quantifies a player’s entire defensive performance by attempting to measure how many runs a defender saved.
2022: 8.1
2021: minus-5.4
Those are some impressive stats for a player who has played mostly second base and center field, with some mixed results, before being allowed to settle into one position this season.
When asked about the possibility of being in the conversation for the Gold Glove Award Ian Happ said:
“Honestly, that’s one of those honors that I thought about a lot as a kid when I was playing shortstop — not as much as a left fielder,”
“But, it would be really cool. It’s pretty tough to do when you’re playing six spots. It’s a little bit easier when you’re getting 1,000-plus innings at one.”
Ian Happ is incredible vs Cincinnati pic.twitter.com/ZE4x35fAkd
— Cubs And Blackhawks News 2.0 (@CubsBlackhawks2) September 22, 2022
Chicago Cubs Gold Glove history
Ian Happ breakout season that includes his first All-Star selection, could be the first Cubs gold glove award since All-Stars Anthony Rizzo ( first base ) and Javier Báez ( shortstop ) departed the Chicago Cubs during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
Some other players to have won the Gold Glove Award for the Cubs are Jason Heyward in 2017, Darwin Barney in 2012, Derrek Lee in 2007 and 2005, Greg Maddux in 2005 and of course Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg in 1983,84,85,86,87,88,89,90 and 1991.
#Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg talks with media about his return to Wrigley Field as manager of the Phillies: pic.twitter.com/LvStiPxL0S
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) August 30, 2013
Final Thoughts
To sum up, David Ross is absolutely right when talking about Ian Happ’s chances of winning a Gold Glove Award. We usually say stats don’t lie, and for sure they aren’t lying.
Ian Happ has 2 and half weeks, and 13 games to prove and improve even more his defensive stats and maybe earn an extension this winter with the Chicago Cubs.
David Ross on telling Ian Happ he is headed to his first All-Star Game. pic.twitter.com/eiP1H9mxrK
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) July 11, 2022
Credits On Featured Image: Ian D’Andrea on Flickr
