In Praise of Fernando Tatis Jr.'s Gold Glove

Rawlings, the baseball glove manufacturer, created the Gold Glove Awards in 1957 to honor the best defenders in baseball. That first year, only one defender in each league received a Gold Glove Award. The next season, Gold Gloves were given to one player at each position. The award structure has pretty much stayed that way since 1958. Last season was the first time a Gold Glove was awarded to a utility player—a defender who played multiple positions throughout the season.

On Sunday, Rawlings announced the Glove Glove Award winners for the 2023 season. The full list of winners is here. I want to talk about one winner in particular—Fernando Tatis Jr.

In his first season as a full-time right fielder—after three seasons playing primarily at shortstop—Tatis Jr. was awarded the National League Gold Glove for right field. It’s a remarkable turnaround for a player who was in no way a defensive star at his original position. By fWAR, Tatis Jr. was the worst defensive shortstop in the National League in 2019, his rookie season. In 2021 and 2022, he was a solid defender, again as measured by fWAR. But Tatis Jr. was never named a Gold Glove finalist while playing at the shortstop position.

(By the way, the notion of a player being a “finalist” for a Gold Glove is a misnomer. Voting takes place only one time. The “finalist” tag is given to the players who receive the top three votes scores).

The White Sox signed Tatis Jr. as an international free agent in 2015. Tatis Jr. was 16 at the time. The next year, the Padres acquired him in a trade that sent James Shields to the White Sox, in what is now considered the one of the worst trades in White Sox history. In 4 minor league seasons before his major league debut in 2019, Tatis Jr. played just shy of 2,200 innings at shortstop, 79 innings at second base, and 46 innings at third base.

Tatis Jr. played his first MLB game in the outfield on August 15, 2021, after returning from a shoulder injury. At the time, Tatis Jr. hadn’t taken single rep as an outfielder in a minor league or winter league game. He simply ordered a new glove and ran out to right field in a game against the Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Oh, and he totaled 4 hits that day, including 2 home runs.

For the rest of the 2021 season, Tatis Jr. switched back and forth between the outfield and shortstop. He logged 150+ innings in right field and 56 innings in center field that season. According to FanGraphs, Tatis Jr. rated -1 in Outs Above Average at both RF and CF and recorded 0 Defensive Runs Saved in both positions.

He then missed the entire 2022 season with a fractured wrist and an 80-game suspension for PED use.

The Padres moved Tatis Jr. to right field permanently after the team signed free agent shortstop with Xander Bogaerts to an 11-year/$280 million contract before the 2023 season.

Tatis Jr. played right field in 2023 so masterfully that it’s difficult to believe he didn’t train for that role his entire baseball life.

The MLB.com highlight reel published after his Gold Glove Award was announced is just a sampling.

You can watch an insane home run robbery here and a great throw to nab a runner at second base here.

Tatis Jr. totaled 29 Defensive Runs Saved and 11 Outs Above Average in right field in 2023. Nobody in the National League recorded more DRS than Tatis Jr. Not in the outfield. Not at any other position. He was spectacular on defense.

Robin Yount is, perhaps, the most famous MLB player to start his career as a shortstop and then switch to playing the outfield. From 1974-1984, Yount played 11 seasons for the Brewers exclusively at shortstop. In 1982, he was the American League MVP and won a Gold Glove for his defensive play at the shortstop position. Yount moved to the outfield in 1985 and played there the rest of his career. He was again named the American League MVP, in 1989, but never won a Gold Glove for his defense in the outfield.

Aside from Tatis, only one other player MLB history began his career primarily as a shortstop and won a Gold Glove for his defensive play in the outfield: Tom Tresh.

In his rookie season in 1962, Tresh logged more than 1,000 innings at shortstop. He batted .286/.359/.441 and was named the American League Rookie of the Year. From 1963-1967, Tresh roamed the outfield at Yankee Stadium, splitting time between center field and left field. He was awarded a Gold Glove for his outfield defense in 1965. In 1968, Tresh returned to the shortstop position for the Yankees. In his final season in 1969, Tresh split time between the outfield and shortstop for New York, and after a trade to Detroit, for the Tigers.

Tatis Jr. and Bogaerts are signed with the Padres on long term deals. Unless one is traded—and with the Padres looking to shed salary, you never know—we’ll continue to see Tatis Jr. turn in one amazing play after another in right field for San Diego. Aren’t we lucky.