Blue Jays win Team Gold Glove Award for second straight season

Pittsburgh Pirates v Toronto Blue Jays
Pittsburgh Pirates v Toronto Blue Jays | Mark Blinch/GettyImages

Back in 2020, Rawlings made the decision to expand their player Gold Glove Awards to include teams as well. Each year since then, the best defensive teams in the league have gotten their own respective awards.

In 2020, the Cubs and Indians took home the honors. In 2021, it was the Cardinals and Astros. The Cardinals and Yankees pulled it off in 2022 and then the Blue Jays and Brewers won the awards in 2023.

This year, it's, well, the Blue Jays and Brewers. Again. The two defensive heavyweights have gone back-to-back. Each squad was represented in the player Gold Gloves this season, too. The Brewers had Brice Turang (2B) and Sal Frelick (RF) take home the hardware, while the Blue Jays had Daulton Varsho (CF) as their lone representative.

Blue Jays win second straight Team Gold Glove Award

Varsho, 28, won the first Gold Glove of his career, and it's likely not going to be his last. He dominated on the grass in both left and center fields and was finally properly rewarded for his efforts. He was worth 3.1 dWAR (per Baseball Reference), which was the most by any player at any position in the game this season. His 28 Defensive Runs Saved also led the league by a wide margin, as only one player even came with 10 DRS of his (Duran, BOS).

He was even up for a well-deserved Platinum Glove Award, but Varsho was edged out by Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh as the American League's top defensive player. In the National League, Milwaukee's Turang took home the honors.

Varsho was not the only strong defender on the Blue Jays this season, though. Kevin Kiermaier, Alejandro Kirk and Ernie Clement all turned in solid seasons with the glove as well. Clement was also up for a Gold Glove of his own.

As a team, the Blue Jays led all of baseball with 102 DRS, while ranking fourth in the game in Outs Above Average.

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