Our Gold Glove analysis for each decade on MLB Monday has never needed three installments, until now. We just keep running out of space in each analysis, so the reality is that defense has gotten better in the major leagues—and there are only a finite number of Gold Gloves to go around for all the players who deserve them. Alas, it sucks, but competitiveness may be at an all-time high in professional sports today.

Tony Peña (Jr.), SS: The son of a Gold Glove catcher, he only played 327 games in the majors from 2006-2009. Yet that was enough to make a mark here. He posted 2.6 dWAR across 152 games in 2007, which could have won anyone a GG vote victory at almost any time in MLB history. Alas, his .640 OPS that year was never going to cut it in this modern era of shortstops with bat and glove skills. Alas, it was all downhill after.

John McDonald, IF: It’s amazing to us this guy played 16 MLB seasons. Alas, he was never better than the 2.7 dWAR he posted in 2007 playing both shortstop and third base. His career dWAR (10.9) explains his lengthy career, as his oWAR was in the red for his entire tenure in the majors. Still, with five different seasons of at least 1.1 dWAR, he sure made his mark playing for eight different teams in his long career.

Aaron Hill, 2B: In 2006, 2007, and 2009 combined, he posted 6.5 dWAR without winning a Gold Glove. He also managed 10.2 oWAR in those three seasons put together, so he was no slouch at the plate, either. Sometimes, that’s just the way it goes. Overall, his 13-season career with five different clubs peaked during this period noted above, yet it’s still noteworthy to point out here. That’s some damn fine production.

Kurt Suzuki, C: One of our favorite players from back in the day, he never won a Gold Glove despite a five-season apex (2008-2012) that saw him compile 7.1 dWAR behind the plate with two different playoff-bound teams. From 2008-2011, he also posted 8.8 oWAR, so he was delivering solid value with his bat, too. Alas, he still couldn’t make an All-Star team or win the GG vote. Overall, he compiled 9.1 dWAR in a 16-year career.

Álex Ríos, RF: Despite 4.4 dWAR and 10.6 oWAR from 2006-2008, combined, he didn’t win a Gold Glove. His 2.1 dWAR mark in 2008 was a career best, although he went into decline after that—finishing with just 3.0 dWAR for his entire 12-year MLB tenure. However, he was named to the All-Star teams in 2006 and 2007, so he wasn’t completely ignored as some of the players on these lists ended up being treated. Oh well.

Adam Kennedy, 2B: From 2000-2008, he was an excellent fielder (10.7 dWAR). In 2002, specifically, he posted a career-best oWAR (3.4), a very good dWAR (1.6), and started on a playoff-bound team that ended up winning the World Series. Alas, no GG vote win and not even an All-Star nod, at any point in his career. His 2.1 dWAR at age 32 in 2008 was a career best, as well, without any recognition from the voters at the time.

Marco Scutaro, SS: Despite late-career moral depravity, he was a reliable infield utility guy for a long time, for multiple teams. However, in 2008 and 2009, he produced a combined 4.7 dWAR without winning a GG vote—despite posting a career-high oWAR mark (4.2) in 2009, as well. He was in his age-33 season already at that point, though, so maybe he already was doing things he shouldn’t have been doing. We’ll never know.

Jason Kendall, C: This is a surprise to us, for many reasons. But he was an offensive force early in his career (38.1 oWAR from 1996-2006) and a defensive force later in his career (6.8 dWAR from 2006-2008). He never won a Gold Glove, though. His 13.9 dWAR behind the plate over 15 seasons is commendable enough, however. His 40.7 oWAR moves him to the 21st-ranked player at his position in MLB history. Cooperstown?!

Elvis Andrus, SS: From 2009-2013, he put up a combined 6.8 dWAR without winning a Gold Glove. Later, in 2017, he posted 2.4 dWAR without official recognition. That season, he also posted 4.2 oWAR, a career best. Certainly, his defensive contributions were undervalued, even as they faded down the line of his long tenure in the majors. Still—he brought a strong combination of skills to his position and was not rewarded.

Ben Zobrist, UTL: Playing seemingly a half dozen positions a year from 2009-2013, he earned a reputation (8.3 dWAR combined) that only his bat really kept up over the second phase of his career (6.7 dWAR total). His best spots were second base and right field, and he probably could have won a GG vote in 2009 or 2011, as he surpassed 2.0 dWAR in both campaigns. With 6.1 oWAR in 2009, specifically, he deserved a lot more.

Brendan Ryan, SS: Twice, he topped his league in dWAR (2009 NL, 2012 AL) without Gold Glove love. Overall, from 2009 to 2013, he compiled a whopping 13.8 dWAR and never won a GG vote. We’re not sure how that happened, although his 2.1 oWAR peak in 2011 may have had something to do with it. His 10-year carer ended with a total of 15 dWAR and no Gold Gloves. The lifetime .607 OPS surely hurt his chances, eh?

Chone Figgins, 3B: His 3.3 dWAR mark in 2009 at third base was the pinnacle of a career that saw him play almost every position on the diamond—and for many a postseason-bound team, as well. In that 2009 campaign, he also posted a career-best 4.8 oWAR and still did not win the Gold Glove. He was in his age-31 season and was never as good again. At least he deserved the All-Star nod he got that summer, however.