Arizona Diamondbacks’ Christian Walker wins NL Gold Glove Award at first base
Christian Walker was named the winner of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award for National League first baseman. He is the first Diamondbacks player to win a Gold Glove since 2019.
“It feels great,” Walker said. “It’s exciting. It’s motivating. It’s great to check something off of my list that I’ve had my eye on for a while now.”
Walker put together one of the more dominant defensive seasons for a first baseman in recent memory, at least according to advanced defensive metrics. He accumulated 17 defensive runs saved, nearly three times as many as the next-best first baseman. His 14 outs above average were 10 better than the next first baseman.
Walker, who last week was named the Fielding Bible Award winner at first base, was reliable at both fielding batted balls and corralling throws from his infielders. According to the numbers, his range was his biggest strength this year, particularly balls to his right, partly due to his ability to position himself well off the first-base bag.
In a way, Walker's season was quietly effective: He made almost every play that came his way but was not a regular on highlight reels.
“It’s almost like you don’t notice him,” Diamondbacks infield coach Tony Perezchica said in August. “You don’t notice him when he makes a pick or when he’s out there fielding a ground ball that should be a base hit.”
Walker said a key to his success wasn’t just the work he put in before games but the speed at which he practiced.
“Something I learned I think from guys like Tony Perezchica and the other great defenders around me is the attention to detail on every rep,” Walker said. “It’s not hard to go out there and get the reps, but to practice fast and practice as close to game speed as possible, I think that’s what’s most important.”
The Gold Glove was the first of Walker's career. He was named a finalist for the award in 2019.
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Diamondbacks outfielder/catcher Daulton Varsho, who was named a finalist for both right field and the newly created utility position, came away empty-handed. The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts won the award in right field and St. Louis Cardinals infielder Brendan Donovan won the utility award.
The rest of the NL winners were Atlanta pitcher Max Fried; Philadelphia catcher J.T. Realmuto; Rockies second baseman Brendan Rodgers; Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado; Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson; Cubs left fielder Ian Happ; and Padres center fielder Trent Grisham.
The American League Gold Glove winners were Cleveland pitcher Shane Bieber; New York catcher Jose Trevino; Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.; Cleveland second baseman Andres Gimenez; Baltimore third baseman Ramon Urias; Houston shortstop Jeremy Pena; Cleveland left fielder Steven Kwan; Cleveland center fielder Miles Straw; and Houston right fielder Kyle Tucker. New York's D.J. LeMahieu won the AL utility player award.
Advanced metrics loved Varsho’s work in the outfield, where he accumulated big numbers in right field and center field in both defensive runs saved (19) and outs above average (17) despite limited games played (71 in right field, 54 in center). His play behind the plate did not grade as well.
“It stinks; I was really pulling for him,” Walker said of Varsho. “I’m sure he’ll win a Gold Glove at something at some point here soon. I’m proud of him and happy for him that he was a finalist, but I’m sure wants to win that.”
Donovan might have had an edge for having played six different positions, though he did not excel at any in the way Varsho did in the outfield.
Rawlings said it collaborated with the Society for American Baseball Research to create a formula that helped it select a utility award winner. The other position winners were determined by a combination of manager/coach voting and a formulaic component.
The last time the Diamondbacks had a Gold Glove winner was in 2019, when shortstop Nick Ahmed, left fielder David Peralta and right-hander Zack Greinke all took home awards.
Reach Piecoro at (602) 444-8680 or nick.piecoro@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @nickpiecoro.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Diamondbacks’ Christian Walker wins NL Gold Glove Award at first base
