The Pittsburgh Pirates did not sign Tommy Pham as a free agent last offseason because of his defense.

If anything, Pham profiled more as a designated hitter than an outfielder during the 2024 season. He had minus-10 defensive runs saved while splitting the year with the Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, and Kansas City Royals.

So, it was pleasantly surprising for the Pirates when he became a plus defender in left field this season. Pham was so good that he is one of three finalists for the National League Gold Glove in left field, joining the Chicago Cubs' Ian Happ and the Miami Marlins' Kyle Stowers.

Pham had five defensive runs saved while playing 115 games in left field. That is important to note because a statistical component from the Society of American Baseball Research plays a part in determining the winners of the awards, which are sponsored by Rawlings, along with voting by the league's managers and coaches.

The winners will be announced on Nov. 2.

Happ finished with nine DRS in 146 games. Stowers had two DRS in 76 games.

None of the three finalists fared well in MLB Statcast's Outs Above Average metric. Happ's tally was zero while Pham and Stowers finished at minus-3.

Players who have previously won Gold Gloves hold sway with managers and coaches. With that in mind, Happ should garner plenty of votes based on winning in each of the past three seasons.

It is difficult to imagine either Pham or Stowers beating Happ.

However, Pham certainly deserves credit for his defensive improvement, especially while playing the spacious left field at PNC Park. Pham is also 37 years old, and few players at that age improve their fielding as much as he did.

Pham believed he often played too deep in 2024, which caused balls to fall in front of him, resulting in more hits. Pham adjusted by playing more shallow this year, which resulted in him being a Gold Glove finalist.

"I know this game more than the analytics," Pham said of his defensive success. "I know how to be a plus defender."