Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho has long been considered one of Major League Baseball’s best fielders and he finally has a gold glove to prove it.
Varsho was named the American League gold glove winner in centre field on Sunday night. It was his third nomination for one of the prestigious awards and his first time coming out on top.
The 28-year-old led the majors with 28 defensive runs saved this year. He also finished tied with Tampa Bay Rays centre-fielder Jose Siri for most outs above average by an outfielder with 16.
In 2022 with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Varsho was nominated in right field but lost to Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Last year, he finished runner-up to Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians in left.
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Varsho’s previous bids were hampered by his versatility. He split time among multiple positions, which cost him votes. That was still the case this year with 76 starts in centre and 46 in left, but unlike before he still came out on top.
Despite ranking 27th in innings played among centre-fielders, Varsho finished second at the position with 16 defensive runs saved. He also tied for second among left-fielders with 12 defensive runs saved even though he was 36th in innings.
Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran, runner-up to Varsho, was in a similar situation. Duran played 810 innings in centre and 611 innings in left, but had five fewer defensive runs saved and five fewer outs above average.
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Varsho’s golden day occurred for defensive player of the year and the multi-position award. The Fielding Bible awards are presented by Sports Info Solutions and voted on by a panel of 16 experts.
The gold gloves are determined by a , which measures runs saved compared to an average defender. The manager and six coaches for each team vote, but not for their own players.
Third baseman Ernie Clement was the only other Jay in the top three at his position, but he was a long-shot to win. Like Varsho, Clement appeared at multiple positions and only played 661 innings at third. Gold glove winner Alex Bregman appeared in almost twice that many.
The other AL winners: Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, Minnesota Twins first baseman Carlos Santana, Cleveland Guardians second baseman Andrés Giménez, Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., Kwan in left, Boston Red Sox right-fielder Wilyer Abreu, Seattle Mariners utility man Dylan Moore and Kansas City Royals right-hander Seth Lugo.
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The winners in the National League: San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey, D-Backs first baseman Christian Walker, Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang, Giants third baseman Matt Chapman, Colorado Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, Chicago Cubs left-fielder Ian Happ, Rockies centre-fielder Brenton Doyle, Brewers right-fielder Sal Frelick, Pittsburgh Pirates utility man Jared Triolo and Atlanta Braves lefty Chris Sale.
Fans in º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøhave been aware of Varsho’s defensive prowess since he arrived prior to the 2023 season. His range and instincts in the outfield are second to none, and his arm is solid, too. Dating back to 2022, nobody in the majors has more defensive runs saved.
Varsho should have been a gold glove winner long before this. But his previous snubs can now be forgiven because he finally has an award all to himself, and it’s just the colour he had been hoping for.
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