Juan Lagares already is regarded among baseball’s best defensive players, and now may get the hardware to prove it.
On Thursday, the Mets center fielder was named a National League Gold Glove award finalist.
Cincinnati’s Billy Hamilton and Washington’s Denard Span are the other NL candidates in center field.
Lagares finished second among major league outfielders with 28 defensive runs saved this season, according to Fangraphs. The leader, Atlanta’s Jason Heyward, saved 32 runs, but played 372 innings more than Lagares.
Also, Lagares had six assists in 2014, including nailing three runners at the plate.
Tommie Agee (1970) and Carlos Beltran (2006-08) are the only Mets outfielders to have won Gold Glove awards. This year’s winners will be named on Nov. 4.
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