Led by ALCS MVP Adolis Garcia, Three Texas Rangers Win First Career Gold Gloves
Three Texas Rangers — Nathaniel Lowe, Jonah Heim and Adolis García — were named Gold Glove winners for the 2023 season on Sunday.
The trio, along with second baseman Marcus Semien and shortstop Corey Seager, were named finalists last month before they made their run to a World Series title.
It was the first career Gold Glove for all three players.
The five were part of the a Rangers team that set a franchise record for fewest errors in a season and was tied for the best fielding percentage (.990) in baseball with the Arizona Diamondbacks, whom Texas beat in the World Series.
Rangers first baseman Nathaniel Lowe's career-best .9977 fielding percentage was second in the American League.
Lowe beat out the New York Yankees’ Anthony Rizzo and Baltimore’s Ryan Mountcastle for the award at first base. He prioritized being a better as a defender in 2023 and it resulted in a career-best .9977 fielding percentage in 161 games, second-best among AL first baseman to Seattle’s Ty France.
Lowe’s fielding percentage was third-best in franchise history behind Mitch Moreland in 2016 (.9981) and Mark Teixeira in 2005 (.9979).
Lowe also finished with four outs above average, per Statcast, a massive improvement over his minus-11 OAA in 2022.
Heim won the award at catcher after he threw out a career-high 22-of-80 base stealers, and his 27.5 percent rate was the best in the American League and second only to Arizona’s Gabriel Moreno, who won the NL Gold Glove at the position.
Heim also had 10 catcher-framing runs, which was third-best in baseball. He also led AL catchers in fielding runs above average, according to FanGraphs, with 22.8. He is the third Rangers catcher to win the award, joining Jim Sundberg and Ivan Rodriguez.
García's team-leading 11 outfield assists tied him for third in the AL behind Boston’s Alex Verdugo and Seattle’s Teoscar Hernández, both with 12. García's had 10 or more outfield assists for the third straight season, the third-longest streak for an outfielder in club history.
García, who won the award as a right fielder, also ranked third among qualified MLB right fielders in both defensive runs saved (seven). He made several big defensive plays throughout the postseason, and was named AL Championship Series MVP.
García is the fourth outfielder in Rangers history to win the award.
Rawlings Gold Glove Winners
American League
Pitcher: Jose Berrios, Toronto. Catcher: Jonah Heim, Texas. First Base: Nathaniel Lowe, Texas. Second Base: Andrew Gimenez, Cleveland. Third Base: Matt Chapman, Toronto. Shortstop: Anthony Volpe, NY Yankees. Left Field: Steven Kwan, Cleveland. Center Field: Kevin Kiermaier, Toronto. Right Field: Adolis Garcia, Texas. Utility: Mauricio Dubon, Houston.
National League
Pitcher: Zack Wheeler, Philadelphia. Catcher: Gabriel Moreno, Arizona. First Base: Christian Walker, Arizona. Second Base: Nico Hoerner, Chicago Cubs. Third Base: Ke’Bryan Hayes, Pittsburgh. Shortstop: Dansby Swanson, Chicago Cubs. Left Field: Ian Happ, Chicago Cubs. Center Field: Brenton Doyle. Right Field: Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego. Utility: Ha-Seong Kim, San Diego.
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