Blue Jays' Varsho wins first Rawlings Gold Glove Award

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho has won his first Rawlings Gold Glove Award. Photo: Rawlings/Toronto Blue Jays

November 3, 2024

Official Rawlings News Release

ST. LOUIS, MO -- Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc., announced the winners for the 2024 Rawlings Gold Glove Award®, honouring the best individual fielding performances at each position in the American League® and National League®.

The winners were unveiled during a one-hour, special-edition Baseball Tonight broadcast that aired on ESPN Sunday, Nov. 3, at 8:30 p.m. E.T.

Recognized as the best defensive players at their respective positions, this year's class of honorees includes six previous winners of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award and 14 first-time winners. Of this group, Matt Chapman has earned the most awards during his career thus far with five at the third base position. Several teams had multiple winners: the Cleveland Guardians, Kansas City Royals and Seattle Mariners in the American League; and the Colorado Rockies, Milwaukee Brewers and San Francisco Giants in the National League.

"The art of defense is something we've deeply admired and treasured over the 67-year history of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award, and this year's winners are truly masters of their craft," said Mike Thompson, chief marketing officer for Rawlings. "It's evident, from this year's stacked lineup of Rawlings Gold Glove Award finalists to the newly announced winners, that superior defensive excellence is what differentiates the good from the great in this game."

To determine the winners of the 18 defensive position awards, each team's manager and up to six coaches on his staff voted from a pool of qualified players in their league and could not vote for players from their own team. Additionally, Rawlings includes the SABR Defensive Index™ (SDI) as part of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award selection process, which influences approximately 25 percent of the overall selection total, with the managers' and coaches' votes continuing to carry the majority.

To identify the utility award winners, Rawlings collaborated with SABR to create a specialized defensive formula separate from the traditional selection process for the Rawlings Gold Glove Award position winners. Utilizing the SABR formula and additional defensive statistics, Rawlings selected one utility winner from each league.

"We truly value our role in providing the quantitative metrics used to assist in determining the winners of a career-defining honour such as the Rawlings Gold Glove Award," said Scott Bush, chief executive officer for SABR. "The 20 Rawlings Gold Glove Award recipients this year certainly took defense to a new level, and we congratulate them on their golden achievement this season."

Below is the complete listing of the 2024 Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners from each league and the number of Rawlings Gold Glove Awards each player has won in his career:

"I'm honoured to have won my very first Rawlings Gold Glove Award alongside such a talented group of athletes, including my own teammate, which makes it even more special for me," said Cal Raleigh, catcher for the Seattle Mariners. "I can't wait to wear the iconic Rawlings gold patch on my gear and glove as Gold Glovers like Johnny Bench, Yadier Molina and Salvador Perez have done throughout their impressive careers as catchers."

Fans can vote for the Rawlings Platinum Glove Award presented by SABR at www.Rawlings.com now through Thursday, Nov. 7, at 11:59 p.m. E.T. The Rawlings Platinum Glove Award winners will be unveiled at the Rawlings Gold Glove Award Ceremony in New York City, on Friday, Nov. 8.

About the Rawlings Gold Glove Award®
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award® is a registered trademark owned by Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. The award is correctly identified as the Rawlings Gold Glove Award. The name should not be shortened, abbreviated, or otherwise misused. Proper identification of this service mark using the registration symbol and the Rawlings name is important to protect the integrity of the program and perpetuate this worthy tradition. For more information including how players qualify for the Award, please visit www.Rawlings.com.

About Rawlings®
Established in 1887, Rawlings is an innovative leading global brand and manufacturer of premium baseball and softball equipment, including gloves, balls, and protective headwear. Rawlings' unparalleled quality, innovative engineering and expert craftsmanship are the fundamental reasons why more professional athletes, national governing bodies and sports leagues choose Rawlings.