Texas Rangers Star Utility Man Aiming To Make History With Gold Glove Award

After securing some hardware last season, the Texas Rangers star is looking to make history if he secures a Gold Glove Award.

Sep 13, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Texas Rangers shortstop Josh Smith (8) hits a single during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park / Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers entered their opening spring training game with lofty expectations for the upcoming season.

After failing to follow up their World Series-winning campaign in 2023 with anything resembling success in 2024, this group is revamped and ready to get on top of Major League Baseball once again.

The usual suspects have been discussed when it comes to the players who will carry the Rangers this year, but perhaps it's emerging star Josh Smith who could be the most impactful.

Already coming off the utility man Silver Slugger Award last season, he has his sights set on adding to his mantel by winning another utility man award in 2025, this time for his defensive efforts.

"That's the goal," he said per Kennedi Landry of MLB.com.

Smith was taken in the second round of the 2019 draft by the New York Yankees and came to Texas in 2021 as part of the Joey Gallo trade. It didn't take him long to climb through the pipeline, debuting in May the following year where he began to carve out a role with the team.

He didn't play a major part during the 2023 campaign, only slashing .185/.304/.328 in 90 games and not taking an at-bat in the playoffs, but he was a breakout star for the Rangers last season with 13 homers, 62 RBI and an OPS+ of 110.

Perception has changed surrounding the 27-year-old now.

Once known as a defensive player with a -0.2 offensive bWAR and 1.3 defensive bWAR during his first two seasons in The Show, Smith's 3.3 offensive bWAR figure he put up last year to earn himself the Silver Slugger Award makes him look like a weapon at the plate.

That's never a bad thing, but he wants to remind everyone that he is a good fielder, too.

"I'm just hoping I can continue to build off of last year. Obviously this year I'm probably playing a couple more positions. So I'd say being able to play all those positions while hitting at the same time would be pretty nice," Smith said.

He was used all over the field last season.

While Smith primarily played third base and shortstop, he also made a few appearances in left field and one each in right and at second base.

To get that Gold Glove Award, he'll have to improve his advanced metrics.

While his defensive bWAR was a respectable 0.3 in 2024, he was worth -1 Outs Above Average per Baseball Savant, which won't secure him any hardware.

It will be interesting to see how manger Bruce Bochy deploys Smith this season.

With Josh Jung back healthy at third base and a crowded outfield group already in place, there isn't a direct path to playing time, especially if Marcus Semien and Corey Seager stay healthy at second base and shortstop, respectively.

That could hurt his chances in the Gold Glove race.

But Texas knows how important he is to this team, and they'll be searching for ways to get him into the lineup throughout the year.

"I think super utility is his best use. I think there's ways we can get him in the lineup at least four, if not five, maybe even six days a week, depending on the need," president of baseball operations Chris Young said.

If Smith is able to accomplish his goal and wins the Gold Glove Award, he would become the first player in Major League Baseball history to secure both the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove as a utility man, an impressive feat even if this was only handed out to those types of players beginning in 2022.

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