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"Pure stupidity": Blue Jays' Bassitt slams Gold Glove snub for Varsho

Adam Laskaris
Adam Laskaris
|
Nov 6 2023, 3:32 pm
"Pure stupidity": Blue Jays' Bassitt slams Gold Glove snub for Varsho
John E. Sokolowski/USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Blue Jays had three players win a Gold Glove, but it’s the one who didn’t that’s upsetting starting pitcher Chris Bassitt.

On Sunday, Blue Jays starting pitcher Jose Berrios, third baseman Matt Chapman, and centre fielder Kevin Kiermaier were all honoured with the American League awards for being the best defenders at their position.

Notably absent from the winners’ list, though, was right fielder Daulton Varsho, who had arguably the best statistical defensive season of any player in all of baseball.

“The fact you can lead in defensive runs saved and not win a gold glove is pure stupidity only baseball can pull off,” Bassitt posted on X Sunday night while sharing data from FieldingBible.com, a popular baseball stats website.

Varsho had 29 defensive runs saved for Toronto this past season, and he was one of just five players across all of baseball to total at least 20. Statistically, it’s hard to find a more impactful defender, but it seems like the voters of this year’s award, managers and coaches from each league, weren’t as much a fan of Varsho’s game.

Bassitt added a follow-up post to the Jomboy Media-affiliated Talkin Baseball account, calling Varsho the biggest Gold Glove snub “and it’s not even close.”

Varsho had a .220 batting average with 116 hits, 20 home runs, 61 RBIs and 65 runs scored in 158 games in 2023, but actually finished fourth on Toronto’s roster with 3.9 Wins Above Replacement, heavily influenced by his defensive impact.

Originally acquired last December in a high-profile trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks for catcher Gabriel Moreno and outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Varsho had a standout season defensively while batting ninth in Toronto’s lineup most days.

While many Toronto fans have had their opinions about the trade only amplified after Arizona’s run to the World Series this fall, Varsho’s defensive game isn’t usually an area that is targeted by his critics.

Interestingly, Moreno himself won his first career Gold Glove for his play with Arizona.

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