MLB fans react as Fernando Tatis Jr. wins 2023 NL Platinum Glove Award: "What a joke"

Fernando Tatis Jr. was named the winner of the 2023 Platinum Glove Award for his time in the right field for the San Diego Padres. This was Tatis' first season in the outfield after a transition from the shortstop position.

The MLB has been awarding the Platinum Glove Award since 2011, honoring the best player in defense overall in each league. All Gold Glove winners are pitted against each other with an international voting conducted along with the Society for American Baseball Research’s (SABR) Defensive Index to determine the winner.

Fernando Tatis Jr. was the best defender in the NL in any position in terms of Defensive Runs Saved. The former shortstop recorded 27 DRS with 11 Outs Above Average, five more than any other right fielder. He was in the 99th percentile in terms of arm strength and was also tied for most outfield assists with 12.

Tatis dethroned six-time consecutive winner Nolan Arenado, who has been a stellar name in defense throughout his career.

MLB fans, however, weren't happy with the distinction. They felt that the voting was heavily biased and the outfielder wasn't deserving of the win. They took to X to voice their opinions:

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Fernando Tatis Jr. creates Padres history with Platinum Glove win

Fernando Tatis Jr. became the first Padres player to receive the award and the first outfielder to be named the NL Platinum Glove awardee. This is extraordinary for someone who transitioned to the outfield and managed to do it after a lengthy hiatus. Tatis served a ban for the use of performance-enhancing drugs in 2022 and missed 20 games at the start of this season.

Meanwhile, Andres Gimenez of the Cleveland Guardians won the AL Platinum Glove award after recording 23 DRS in the infield.

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