SAN DIEGO -- A strange thing happened as Hunter Renfroe pieced together the best offensive season of his young career: He became as good an outfielder as he is a hitter.

Renfroe made two catches in Friday night's 3-2 victory over the Dodgers, both of which potentially saved the game. He made a sliding grab in left field to end the seventh inning. Then, after a defensive substitution pushed him to right field, he made a running catch at the warning track in the ninth.

Ultimately, Renfroe's night would be remembered for the go-ahead home run he clobbered with two outs in the eighth inning. But his defensive contributions were arguably just as important.

And that's a pretty good summation of his entire season. The power is dazzling. But the rest of his game – and specifically his defense – has gotten significantly better, too.

"I put a lot of emphasis [on being a complete player]," Renfroe said. "I want to win a Gold Glove. That's a huge thing I want, and I'm going to work for it."

As far-fetched as that goal might have seemed at the beginning of the season, Renfroe has a legitimate case. He's been worth eight defensive runs saved this year, which puts him tied for eighth among all outfielders.

But Gold Glove Awards are divvied up by league and position. In that regard, Renfroe ranks first among National League left fielders. His biggest challenger might be Arizona's David Peralta, who has 4 DRS.

So Renfroe is a Gold Glove front-runner. That's a stark contrast from the version of Renfroe who arrived in the big leagues in September 2016 with an elite arm and athleticism to match. His routes weren't clean, his throws went to the wrong bases and his first step wasn't always crisp.

"When he was first in the big leagues, he was a below average defender," said Padres manager Andy Green. "There's no other way around it. ... All that stuff has gotten way better. He's always possessed the athleticism to do it. He's just maturing. It's fun watching him do that."

Renfroe has been the subject of much trade speculation over the past few months. Since those rumors began, he's turned himself into the team's most complete outfielder by a wide margin. Rest assured, the Padres' front office is well aware of Renfroe's all-around value.

Earlier this week, Green called on Renfroe to play center field for the first time in a blowout against San Francisco. Renfroe made an excellent running catch at the warning track, so he got a start there the following day, too. He made every play.

Center field is never going to be Renfroe's primary position. But the Padres now see it as an option – and a valuable one regarding late-game maneuvering. That speaks volumes to Renfroe's evolution -- from subpar corner outfielder to serviceable in center.

To that end, the Padres didn't change anything regarding Renfroe's drill work. They put a heavier emphasis on his pre-pitch routine in order to assure a better first step. But Renfroe's progress has been almost entirely self-made.

"We didn't do anything different," said first base coach Skip Schumaker, who works with the team's outfielders. "I think he's just growing as a player. He wants to be a complete player. Whether it's baserunning, hitting, in the outfield, he wants to be more than a power guy."

Renfroe is still "a power guy." His 26 homers are tied for fifth in the Majors, and he's averaging one every 9.9 at-bats, which ranks second.

But he brings value elsewhere, too. Renfroe says he'd prefer a Gold Glove to a Silver Slugger. And this year his odds are probably better for a Gold Glove.

In the Padres’ clubhouse there was consternation this week when neither Renfroe nor Franmil Reyes was named to the Home Run Derby. Schumaker didn’t exactly see it that way.

"People want to talk about the Home Run Derby," Schumaker said. "It's more than that. He should be an All-Star. He’s been an All-Star player."

And his excellent defense has played no small part.