The Gold Glove Award goes to Matt Chapman, Kevin Kiermaier, as well as José Berríos.

The Gold Glove Award goes to Matt Chapman, Kevin Kiermaier, as well as José Berríos.

In 2023, the Toronto Blue Jays had one of the best defenses in baseball, and three of their players were deemed as being the best at their roles.

On Sunday, Gold Gloves were given to Matt Chapman (third base), Kevin Kiermaier (center field), and Jose Berrios (pitcher). These awards are given to the best players in each league at each position.

Blue Jays teammates Alejandro Kirk (catcher) as well as Daulton Varsho (left field) were nominated but didn’t win.

For his steady work at the hot corner, Chapman got his fourth gold glove. Based on FanGraphs, he ended with 12 defense runs gained (DRS), which was a lot more than Alex Bregman (5) as well as Jose Ramirez (1).

Anyone who saw the Blue Jays within 2023 can relate to how many amazing plays Chapman did look easy.

Julio Rodríguez as well as Luis Robert Jr. couldn’t stop Kiermaier from winning the fourth gold glove. With 18, Kiermaier had the second-most DRS of any center fielder in the major leagues, giving him an edge over his rivals.

In terms of outs above the average (+12) as well as fielding run value (+12), Kiermaier and Robert were tied. Rodríguez was just a hair behind them with +12 OAA and +9 FRV.

After beating Twins pitchers Sonny Gray and Pablo Lopez, Berrios won the award for the first time in his career. He was a finalist for the second year in a row.

With five DRS, Berrios had the most of any pitcher in the American League. He also had more putouts (15) as well as infield assists (26), more than either of his Twins teammates.

This winter, both Chapman along with Kiermaier are free agents, which means the Blue Jays could lose two of their most important defense players.

Varsho could make a great replacement to center field because he played there 64 times in 2023.

At third base, there isn’t a clear answer, but highly rated prospects Addison Barger or Orelvis Martinez could be interesting choices for Toronto in the minor leagues.

Chapman, Kiermaier, and Berríos, all Blue Jays players, got Gold Glove Awards for their outstanding defense in the 2023 season.

Chapman, who plays third base, won his fourth Gold Glove Award, which added to his reputation even though some defense metrics put him lower.

As a center fielder, Kiermaier won the fourth Gold Glove Award for 162 games of great defense.

As a starting pitcher, Berríos got his very first Gold Glove Award, which showed that he could make both easy and hard plays on the field.

All three of these players have been very important to the Blue Jays’ success this season (2023).

Matt Chapman won the fourth Gold Glove that third base. Kevin Kiermaier, whose regularly scored highlight-reel plays throughout the outfield, won the award for best center fielder, and Jose Berrios, who won the award for best starting pitcher, helped Chapman win the award.

The awards, of course, show how hard it will be for general manager Ross Atkins after the off-season begins. Chapman is expected to leave for free agency, and Kiermaier has already done so.

Daulton Varsho in left field and Alejandro Kirk at catcher, who does great work behind the plate, were also finalists for their spots because of great seasons.

When Chapman wasn’t a finalist to feed the award a year ago, his teammates and coaches were shocked because they thought he earned it, even though some defensive metrics put him behind the top names.

Even though those numbers didn’t go through the roof in 2023, the Gold Glove Trophies are chosen by MLB management and coaches who play against Chapman 162 times a season and like his game.

Chapman’s season was marked by a blisteringly hot April that ended at the plate. On defense, his play was rock solid until late in the year when he seriously hurt his right finger.

Outs Above Average (OAA), a way to measure how well a player does over time, put Chapman 11th among really MLB third basemen.