On Nov. 7, 2021, MLB announced its National League (NL) and American League (AL) Gold Glove winners. The Gold Glove is an annual award handed out to the best defenders at each position in their respective leagues. The St. Louis Cardinals set a record by having five Gold Gloves in a single year. Those players are first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, second baseman Tommy Edman, third baseman Nolan Arenado, outfielder Tyler O’Neill and outfielder Harrison Bader, all according to mlb.com.

Goldschmidt won his fourth Gold Glove in his career and his first since he was traded to the Cardinals back in 2018. Goldschmidt had 1,144 putouts, turned 111 double plays and had a fielding percentage of .998, the highest in MLB this season with the exception of outfielders, all according to baseball-reference.com.

Edman had been in the shadows of Kolten Wong, who won back-to-back Gold Gloves as a Cardinal. In the offseason, Wong was acquired by the Milwaukee Brewers, and Edman was finally front and center at second base. Edman, who was a finalist for the Gold Glove along with Wong this year, ended up beating Wong for the award, according to mlb.com. Furthermore, Edman had only played 37 games at second base before this season. This means excluding pitchers and rookies, Edman is only one of four players in MLB history to play fewer games at their position entering the season and wind up winning a Gold Glove, all according to esb.com.

Arenado won his ninth consecutive Gold Glove and his first as a Cardinal. With 10 cumulative Gold Gloves, he is now tied with Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt with the second most Gold Gloves for a third baseman. He also won his fifth consecutive Platinum Glove, a award given to the best defender in the NL and AL and is the most any player has ever won. Arenado had 287 assists, 38 double plays turned and a .974 fielding percentage, the fourth-highest among third baseman this year, all according to baseball-reference.com.

O’Neill won his second consecutive Gold Glove. O’Neill had 221 putouts, 11 defensive runs saved above average and only committed nine errors this season. O’Neill also won NL Player of the Month honors in September, all according to baseball-reference.com.

Bader is swift, not afraid to give up his body for the play and some say he has the best hair in baseball. Bader had 15 defensive runs saved above average, a .990 fielding percentage and only committed three errors the entire season, all according to baseball-reference.com.