PHILADELPHIA -- Zack Wheeler has been one of baseball’s most elite pitchers since he signed with the Phillies in December 2019. 

Now he has been recognized as one of baseball’s best fielding pitchers. 

It was announced Sunday night that Wheeler is the 2023 National League Gold Glove Award winner at pitcher. It is Wheeler’s first Gold Glove Award and Philadelphia's first for a pitcher since Steve Carlton in 1981. The only other Phillies pitchers to win Gold Glove Awards are Jim Kaat (1976-77) and Bobby Shantz (1964).

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Wheeler finished with four defensive runs saved, according to FanGraphs, which ranked fourth on the team behind Johan Rojas (15), Bryson Stott (six) and Taijuan Walker (five). 

J.T. Realmuto, Stott and Walker were also finalists for Gold Glove Awards. (Ranger Suárez might have been a finalist, but he did not have enough innings to qualify.) Realmuto lost to D-backs catcher Gabriel Moreno and Stott lost to Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner.

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The Phillies’ defense has been subpar for years, but they took a significant step forward in the second half of 2023, when Kyle Schwarber moved from left field to DH, Brandon Marsh and Cristian Pache moved to left field and Rojas played center field.