Orioles have three Gold Glove winners: J.J. Hardy, Adam Jones, Nick Markakis

The Gold Glove award winners were announced on Tuesday night, and when the dust settled, the Orioles found themselves with three winners this year after having had three players win last season. All of the Orioles finalists won: J.J. Hardy, Adam Jones, and Nick Markakis.

Gold Gloves are voted on by coaches after the regular season but before the playoffs. Up to seven coaches for each team can vote, with the restriction that they can't vote for their own players. The coach vote used to be the whole of the voting. Now it's 75%, with 25% coming from advanced statistics.

At shortstop, Hardy's competition was Alcides Escobar (Royals) and Alexei Ramirez (White Sox). The other finalists against Jones at center field were Jackie Bradley Jr. (Red Sox) and Adam Eaton (White Sox). In right field, Markakis was up against Kole Calhoun (Angels) and Kevin Kiermaier (Rays).

The Orioles were one of four AL teams who had three Gold Glove finalists, and one of only two AL teams to have multiple winners. The Royals also had three players win Gold Gloves.

For Jones and Hardy, the wins represented the third straight Gold Glove for each. Jones also won in 2009. His fourth career Gold Glove ties him for the third-most in franchise history. Mike Mussina and Bobby Grich also won four Gold Gloves for the team. Jones has a way to go to catch up to Paul Blair and Mark Belanger, who had eight. Of course, Brooks Robinson towers over all with 16.

Markakis won the second Gold Glove of his career. He last won a Gold Glove in 2011.

As a franchise, the Orioles now have 70 Gold Glove awards. That's the most of any American League team. The Cardinals, with 85 Gold Gloves, are the team with the most in MLB. The Cardinals picked up one more win this year. Slowly but surely, the Orioles have been chipping away at that lead.