Padres' Denorfia honored for defense

SAN DIEGO -- Outfielder Chris Denorfia was named the Padres' recipient of the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award on Thursday.

The Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Awards name the best defensive player on each MLB club, as well as the best defensive player and the best defensive team in the American and National Leagues.

The award winners were determined using a formula that balances scouting information, sabermetric analysis and basic fielding statistics.

Denorfia appeared in a career-best 139 games for the Padres this season, spending time in left field (58 games), center field (41) and right field (97).

Denorfia had five errors in a career-high 265 chances, with 247 putouts and 13 outfield assists. He was tied for fifth in the Major Leagues in assists.

According to FanGraphs, Denorfia had an 11.3 UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating) for 2013.

In September, Denorfia was the Padres' recipient of the Heart and Hustle Award, given by the MLB Players Alumni Association to one player from each team who "demonstrates a passion for the game of baseball and best embodies the values, spirit and tradition of the game."

"When you say heart and hustle, there are a couple guys that come to mind, but Deno is right there with them," Padres manager Bud Black said in September. "Every day that he comes to the ballpark, he comes in fresh. ... People around the league -- other managers, coaches, players -- have a great deal of respect for Deno."

The GIBBY trophy for Defensive Player of the Year will be awarded as part of the 2013 Greatness in Baseball Yearly Awards, which are based on voting by media, front-office personnel, MLB alumni and the Society for American Baseball Research, as well as fan balloting on MLB.com.

Through Sunday, Dec. 1, fans will be able to cast their ballots at MLB.com for the year's top defensive star, with no individual league affiliation.