Christian Walker, Gabriel Moreno Receive Gold Glove Awards

Walker will receive his second Gold Glove Award at first base, Moreno his first at catcher.

Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker and catcher Gabriel Moreno will receive their Gold Glove Awards just prior to the start of the game against the Rockies on Sunday afternoon. Walker will receive his second consecutive Gold Glove while Moreno will get his first.

"I'm very proud of those guys," said manager Torey Lovullo. "Even though it's an individual award, I know the team will be celebrating. Those guy did some things to help the team win baseball games and that's all we'll be thinking about. But for 25 seconds, they're going to be the highlight and they deserve that.

Walker joined the D-backs as a waiver claim in 2017, which was also Lovullo's first year. At the time, he was blocked by franchise player Paul Goldschmidt but continued to grind outside the spotlight. When Goldschmidt was traded following the 2018 season, an opportunity opened up for Walker to take over. He did just that and has held down the position for the past five-plus seasons.

"Walk challenged himself every single day, from the very first day he got here. He had Paul Goldschmidt in front of him, never let it distract him. We tried him in left field to get him at-bats, he never let that distract him. When his time came, he went out there and executed and did it at a very high level. It's yielded two Gold Gloves and he's deserving of that. The plays just aren't being made, they're being made because he's worked hard to make that stuff happen."

What stood out to Lovullo was his first baseman's commitment to becoming the best defender he can. Even on the day he'll receive his award, Walker was taking ground balls at first base. That's the type of strong example that he sets as one of the leaders on the team.

"He won his first Gold Glove and was the first one out there every single day, ready to take ground balls. Always asking questions, talking about glove position, stalking the baseball. He never stops learning."

Moreno joined the D-backs in a trade following the 2022 season. A former top prospect with strong receiving and throwing skills plus an above-average bat, everything came together for him last year. He led all National League catchers in caught stealing rate at 39% and was credited with +20 defensive runs saved. His ability to shut down the running game has not only helped his pitchers, but also the defense behind him.

Entering his second full season in the big leagues, the goal is for Moreno to continue to improve. Not only just the catching, blocking, and throwing aspects of the position, but also the finer points of catching. The D-backs continue to challenge him to get better defensively and continue to be an impact player on that side of the ball.

"It is a great luxury, throws everybody out, nobody runs on him. That's one part of catching. Receiving, blocking, and game calling can always be enhanced. We're going to continue to teach him, he's accepting of that."