Cubs' Ian Happ earns his third straight NL Gold Glove

Set up right behind Chicago Cubs left fielder Ian Happ on a Zoom call Sunday night was a piece of gold hardware.

That would be the first Gold Glove trophy of his career, which he won as the National Leagues’ Gold Glove winner for left field in 2022. His second Gold Glove, which he again won for left field in 2023, is stationed up in Chicago.

Now, he’ll be adding another to his collection.

Happ was once again named a finalist for the NL’s left-field Gold Glove award back in mid-October, along with Arizona’s Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Philadelphia’s Brandon Marsh, and Sunday, he officially completed the three-peat.

This trophy, he said, will likely go right next to his second one back in Chicago.

“It’s nice to be able to spread them around a little bit,” Happ said. “Pretty lucky to do that.”

For his first few seasons in the big leagues, Happ wasn’t able to find a defensive home with Cubs.

He played five different positions in his rookie season, and in both 2018 and 2019, he manned six (plus a pitching appearance in ’18). That continued in the shortened 2020 season, when he played all three outfield spots and first base, and in 2021, he again spent time at five different positions.

It wasn’t until the last half of that year that he got the opportunity to stick mostly in left field. That led into 2022, when Happ played all but 12 defensive innings in left, and it was then that he began his current run of defensive success as the Cubs’ everyday left fielder.

“To be able to be in the big leagues on some great teams and bounce around and play a bunch of different positions and do what those groups needed from me was important,” Happ said, “but to really get a chance to stay in one spot, to be comfortable, to learn, to be able to have the chance to kind of dominate that one area was a really awesome opportunity in the back end of ’21 and then in ’22.

“For me, there was a lot of positions on the field I thought I could play, but to finally get an opportunity to be at one and really find a position and to have it pay off like this, with the consistency and the ability to actually have a couple of those Gold Gloves to show all the work that I put into it, that part is really cool.”

Happ is the first Cubs outfielder to win the award three years in a row. He joins Jason Heyward (2016-17), Andre Dawson (1987-88) and Bob Dernier (1984) as the four Cubs outfielders to be named Gold Glovers.

“Anytime in this organization that’s been around for so long, when you get your name mentioned like that, first do something, it’s always pretty cool,” Happ said. “So, a lot of hard work, and being able to do it three straight times is a really special accomplishment. This award means a lot.”

Among NL left fielders with at least 650 innings, Happ led the way with eight Defensive Runs Saved and an 11.0 UZR/150. While his -3 Outs Above Average and -1 Fielding Run Value (both per Statcast) did fall behind both Gurriel and Marsh, his overall defensive effort was enough to earn him his third straight Gold Glove nod.

Happ led NL left fielders with 11 assists, and he made only one error, clearing Gurriel and Marsh in both areas. His assist total was also tied for the most among all NL outfielders and was one back of being the most in the majors.

“I think the throwing was really good the last two years, and so maintaining that and having that be consistent was great.” Happ said when asked what part of his defensive performance he was most proud of this season. “And kind of bouncing back from last year to having a better year tracking down the baseball and going to catch balls. Last year, I was really proud of the throwing, and it kind of carried me into this year to be able to put both of those together again, like I did in ’22.”

The Cubs’ other Gold Glove finalist, Dansby Swanson, was unable to secure his own three-peat, as he was beaten out by Colorado’s Ezequiel Tovar. Swanson’s up-the-middle partner, Nico Hoerner, wasn’t named a finalist after he won the NL Gold Glove at second base last year.

“It doesn’t take away from what those guys are able to do in the middle of the diamond and how special they are,” Happ said. “We get to watch them on a daily basis, so maybe I’m biased, but I know how good those guys are and how, year in and year out, they come in as favorites to win the Gold Glove at the start of year.”