Rangers' Ezequiel Duran earns AL Gold Glove for utility play

Ezequiel Duran, an infielder for the Texas Rangers, was named the American League's Gold Glove winner at utility, the league announced Sunday on ESPN. He outpolled New York's José Caballero and Detroit's Zach McKinstry for the honor. It is the first utility Gold Glove a Rangers player has taken since the award was created five years ago.

Duran's season was defined by flexibility on a roster that spent long stretches shorthanded. When Corey Seager, Josh Jung and Wyatt Langford were sidelined, he stepped in at shortstop, third base and left field, and he also appeared at first base, center field and right field. Only one other player in the league covered as many different positions.

The defensive numbers back up the versatility. At shortstop, Duran finished with 11 outs above average, fourth best among American League players at that spot. His 4.4 WAR ranked 10th among AL position players. He also became just the sixth player in baseball history to log 20 or more games at third base, shortstop, second base and left field in a single season.

Duran, 27, picked up the nickname "The Solution" from a winter league teammate before this season, a reference to his versatility. For a Rangers team that had a difficult year, his award stands out as one of the few clear highlights. Original reporting by Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News, shared by NBC 5 DFW.