Gold Glove winners 2012: No Tigers receive awards

The Detroit Tigers were not known for their defense in 2012, so maybe it's no surprise that they were shut out of the 2012 Gold Glove awards. They did have two finalists, though, in Austin Jackson and Alex Avila, but both were passed over in favor of two Baltimore Orioles.

The Gold Glove at catcher in the American League went to Matt Wieters, while the one for centerfield went to Adam Jones. There were nine first-time winners among the 18 Gold Gloves awarded on Tuesday night, and Jackson and Avila would've been in that group, had they won at their positions.

Last year, Jackson won the 2011 Fielding Bible award for centerfield, but this year that went to Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels. Advanced data backs up the notion that Jackson was a stellar defensive player last year, and though he took a step back in 2012, he was still above average. According to Fielding Bible's Defensive Runs Saved, Jackson saved five runs above average in 2012 after saving 29 last season.

Advanced defensive metrics for catchers are much less reliable, but the Fielding Bible had Avila as slightly below average on the year.