Winners of the 2023 Rawlings Gold Glove Awards have been announced, recognizing outstanding defensive players in baseball. The recipients were revealed during an hour-long “Baseball Tonight” special on ESPN. In this season’s awards, there was a new addition of a utility position winner in each league, joining the regular positional honorees.
Here are the 2023 Gold Glove Award winners:
AMERICAN LEAGUE
- First Base: Nathaniel Lowe of the Rangers received his first Gold Glove Award, despite a dip in his offensive performance compared to the previous season. His fielding, however, saw significant improvement, with four outs above average, a stark contrast to his minus-11 OAA in 2022.
- Second Base: Andrés Giménez from the Guardians secured his second consecutive AL Gold Glove Award, leading AL second basemen with 18 outs above average and 23 defensive runs saved.
- Third Base: Matt Chapman of the Blue Jays claimed his fourth career Gold Glove Award, leading AL third basemen with 12 defensive runs saved in 2023. This made him the second third baseman in Blue Jays history to win the honor.
- Shortstop: Anthony Volpe of the Yankees made history as the first rookie in Yankees history to win a Gold Glove Award, with an impressive debut season that saw him accumulate 15 defensive runs saved.
- Catcher: Jonah Heim of the Rangers not only had a remarkable year at the plate but also earned his first career Gold Glove Award, leading all AL catchers in fielding runs above average.
- Pitcher: José Berríos of the Blue Jays bounced back from a challenging 2022 season and secured a Gold Glove Award, becoming one of the few pitchers in franchise history to win the honor.
- Left Field: Steven Kwan from the Guardians won his second Gold Glove Award in just two Major League seasons, leading all MLB left fielders in defensive runs saved and outs above average.
- Center Field: Kevin Kiermaier of the Blue Jays continued to demonstrate his excellence in center field, winning his fourth career Gold Glove Award.
- Right Field: Adolis García of the Rangers received his first Gold Glove Award, largely due to his exceptional arm strength and defensive abilities.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
- First Base: Christian Walker of the D-backs secured his second Gold Glove Award, leading all MLB first basemen with 11 outs above average.
- Second Base: Nico Hoerner of the Cubs won his first Gold Glove Award after an outstanding defensive season, tying for the league lead among second basemen with 12 defensive runs saved.
- Third Base: Ke’Bryan Hayes of the Pirates won the Gold Glove Award, ending Nolan Arenado’s 11-year streak. Hayes led all third basemen with 17 outs above average, 21 defensive runs saved, and a high Statcast fielding run value.
- Shortstop: Dansby Swanson, a Cubs player, won his second Gold Glove Award for his exceptional defensive performance at shortstop.
- Catcher: Gabriel Moreno of the D-backs led MLB backstops in defensive runs saved and Statcast’s caught stealing above average, becoming the first D-backs catcher to win a Gold Glove Award.
- Pitcher: Zack Wheeler of the Phillies, in addition to his pitching prowess, also demonstrated his defensive skills by winning a Gold Glove Award.
- Left Field: Ian Happ, another Cubs player, claimed his second straight Gold Glove Award, leading all MLB left fielders in assists and ultimate zone rating.
- Center Field: Brenton Doyle of the Rockies, a rookie outfielder, impressed with his arm and overall defensive abilities, becoming the sixth rookie outfielder to win a Gold Glove Award.
- Right Field: Fernando Tatis Jr., moved from shortstop to right field, excelled defensively and led MLB with 29 defensive runs saved.
These awards recognize the exceptional defensive talents across various positions in both the American League and National League for the 2023 season.
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