These are the 2026 Gold Glove Award finalists
The 2026 Rawlings Gold Glove Award finalists were announced on Wednesday, with the winners set to be unveiled on ESPN on Sunday, Nov. 1.
Each league has three finalists at each position, including the utility spot, which was awarded for the first time in 2022.
To determine the winners at the nine standard positions, 30 MLB managers and up to six coaches from each team vote from a pool of players in their league, excluding players from their own team. These votes comprise 75% of the selection total, with the SABR Defensive Index counting for the other 25%.
For the utility position, Rawlings collaborated with SABR to create a specialized defensive formula separate from the traditional selection process.
The Blue Jays and Cubs each have five nominees, the most of any club. The Braves, D-backs, Rangers and Royals have four apiece.
Here are the 2026 Gold Glove Award finalists. Each position’s finalists are listed in alphabetical order.
American League
Pitcher
Tanner Bibee, Guardians
Jacob deGrom, Rangers
José Soriano, Angels/Blue Jays
None of these three pitchers has taken home a Gold Glove Award, making for an exciting competition. Looking at the advanced metrics, Bibee has the edge in both Statcast’s Outs Above Average (+6) and Defensive Runs Saved (+5). Bibee’s and Soriano’s clubs, the Guardians and Blue Jays, have been heavily featured in this award this decade. Shane Bieber won for Cleveland in 2022, and José Berríos won for Toronto the following year.
Catcher
Dillon Dingler, Tigers
Brandon Valenzuela, Blue Jays
Austin Wells, Yankees
Dingler has a strong case for the best all-around catcher in baseball, in no small part due to his elite defense. Dingler’s +17 Fielding Run Value (per Statcast) ranked tops among all catchers and was tied for third best among any defenders. He also led catchers with a +22.1 Defensive Rating, via FanGraphs. Dingler took home Gold Glove honors in 2025, so he’s looking to make it two straight years.
Alejandro Kirk has long been one of the best defensive catchers in baseball and was joined by Valenzuela to make a dynamic duo in ‘26. In just 91 games as a rookie, Valenzuela ranked as a top five catcher in terms of Run Value (+11) and Defensive Rating (+13.6). Valenzuela excelled both at framing and throwing runners out.
Wells has consistently been one of the better defensive catchers in baseball during his time in the Majors. He had a +10 Run Value in 2026, after posting a +12 figure in both 2024 and ‘25. Wells is an excellent pitch framer and also blocks pitches in the dirt with the best of them.
First base
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays
Vinnie Pasquantino, Royals
Christian Walker, Astros
Guerrero’s progression into one of the better defensive first basemen is a fascinating part of his journey. Whereas he was consistently below average for much of his career, Vlad Jr. flashed his newfound level of defense in the 2025 playoffs and had a career-best defensive season across the board in 2026. Guerrero is looking for his second award after winning it in 2022.
Pasquantino was solid on both sides of the ball in 2026 and improved his defense after his metrics were down in ‘25. He’s looking to become the first Royals first baseman to win the award since Eric Hosmer in 2017.
Walker is no stranger to the Gold Glove Award -- he won it in three straight years for the D-backs from 2022-24. He’s well established as one of the best defensive first basemen of his era and he’s still going strong.
Second base
Michael Massey, Royals
Chase Meidroth, White Sox
Cole Young, Mariners
A Gold Glove winner in the Minor Leagues back in 2021 as the best defensive second baseman in all of the Minors, Massey is an MLB Gold Glove finalist for the first time in 2026. The Kansas City infielder proved his worth with +11 OAA, behind only Jazz Chisholm Jr. (+15) for the most among AL second basemen.
While Massey had the edge in OAA, it was Meidroth who led all AL second basemen with a +10 FRV. Meidroth spent a majority of his time at shortstop as a rookie in 2025 (and still graded out as a plus defender in limited action there in ’26), but he proved to be excellent at the keystone in his second season.
Different metrics had considerably different opinions of Young’s defense in 2026. The Mariners second baseman was credited with +16 DRS -- tied for eighth in MLB -- but was tied for 35th of 42 qualifying players at his position with -5 OAA.
Third base
Caleb Durbin, Red Sox
Brooks Lee, Twins
Nick Loftin, Royals
Durbin took a step up defensively in 2026 after being traded to the Red Sox from the Brewers. After accruing +1 OAA during his 2025 rookie season, he racked up +6 OAA in ’26 and led all AL third basemen with +13 DRS. Across MLB, only Alex Bregman and Matt Chapman (both at +15) had more.
A position change turned out to be huge for Lee’s glove. He came up as a shortstop and played there primarily in 2024 and ‘25 (while seeing time at second and third base) but finished with a -3 FRV in both seasons. In 2026, Lee still struggled in limited action at shortstop (-6 OAA) but was excellent (+6 OAA) at third.
Loftin stepped into a bigger role for the Royals with Maikel Garcia hampered by injury and performed admirably, both on offense and defense. He played enough third base to qualify for a Gold Glove at the hot corner while also seeing considerable playing time at second base and in right field. Loftin racked up +6 DRS in 2026, although Statcast was much more critical (-3 OAA, -1 FRV).
Shortstop
Andrés Giménez, Blue Jays
Taylor Walls, Rays
Bobby Witt Jr., Royals
Giménez won three straight AL Gold Gloves at second base from 2022-24 before former Ranger Marcus Semien beat him out in ’25. After moving to shortstop for Toronto in ’26, he now has a shot to win another Gold Glove at a new position. Giménez finished the season tied with the Cardinals’ Masyn Winn for second among shortstops with +19 OAA.
Opinions on Walls’ defense are considerably split: DRS has him at +21 (tied for third among all players), while Statcast graded him as a poor defender (-2 OAA, -2 FRV). Known for his slick glove at shortstop, Walls is a Gold Glove finalist for the second straight season.
Witt won the previous two AL Gold Gloves at short and is well positioned for a third. His +24 OAA was third in MLB, behind only Pete Crow-Armstrong and JJ Wetherholt, and his +17 FRV was tied with Winn for the most among shortstops. The Royals’ star could make it three straight seasons winning both the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards at his position.
Left field
Cody Bellinger, Yankees
Wyatt Langford, Rangers
Chandler Simpson, Rays
Bellinger is vying for his first Gold Glove since 2019, when he won the award as a right fielder for the Dodgers. The 31-year-old led all left fielders with +21 DRS, benefitting from plus range (+6 OAA) and an 93.3 mph average arm strength that ranks in the 94th percentile of MLB.
When healthy, Langford, 24, continued to play sublime defense for the Rangers. He started 87 games in left field and totaled +5 OAA, tied for fourth most among all left fielders. That range stems from a strong jump; only Pete Crow-Armstrong and Ceddanne Rafaela had better initial reactions than Langford.
Simpson is one of the fastest players in baseball, and he put all that speed to good while roaming the outfield for the AL-best Rays in 2026. Few players improved their range more than Simpson, who led all left fielders with +8 OAA in ‘26 after accruing -5 OAA in ‘25. How did he turn things around? Simpson worked closely with outfield instructor Corey Dickerson to improve his reactions, and now ranks among the top 10 in jumps.
Center field
Evan Carter, Rangers
Steven Kwan, Guardians
Ceddanne Rafaela, Red Sox
Carter remained mostly healthy this year for the Rangers, appearing in 140 games in center field. Boosted by elite speed, the 24-year-old totaled +11 OAA in 2026, tied for fourth most among primary center fielders.
For the first time in his five-year career, Kwan started more games in center field (77) than in left (65) in 2026. That’s why the four-time defending Gold Glove Award winner is eligible at a different position this year. Kwan often displayed his plus arm, recording 11 outfield assists – tied for third most in MLB – and taking part in five double plays.
Rafaela isn’t quite on Pete Crow-Armstrong’s level in center field, but he’s pretty close. The 26-year-old ranked second among outfielders with +16 FRV and +17 OAA. Rafaela’s 10 five-star catches led all qualified outfielders, which certainly passes the eye test.
Right field
Wilyer Abreu, Red Sox
Nathan Lukes, Blue Jays
Cam Smith, Astros
By at least one popular metric, Abreu was the best defender in baseball in 2026: His +28 DRS led all MLB players by a wide margin. Statcast doesn’t quite favor Abreu as much, but there’s no doubting the arm of the two-time Gold Glove Award winner. Abreu’s 95.3 mph average arm strength is a top 10 mark among qualified players, and his 13 outfield assists trailed only the Dodgers’ Andy Pages.
Abreu isn’t the only AL right fielder with a cannon. Lukes joined Abreu as one of seven players with 10-plus outfield assists this season. According to Statcast’s arm value metric, Lukes had the most valuable outfield arm in the American League.
Smith, 23, has only been a full-time outfielder for two seasons. And in each of those two seasons, he’s been a Gold Glove finalist. He looked more comfortable in right field this year, benefitting from improved range: His +7 OAA ranked in the 91st percentile of MLB and fourth most among primary right fielders.
Utility
José Caballero, Yankees
Ezequiel Duran, Rangers
Zach McKinstry, Tigers
Caballero racked up +12 DRS while moving all around the diamond for the Yankees. He played every defensive position but pitcher, catcher and first base. His 0 FRV is actually the lowest of his career -- his best was +8 as a rookie with the Mariners in 2023 -- but Caballero is still a first-time finalist for a Gold Glove.
Duran racked up 4.4 FanGraphs WAR in 2026 thanks in part to stellar defense, tying for sixth in MLB with +17 OAA (including +11 at shortstop). He was a true utility player for Texas, making double-digit appearances at second base, third base, shortstop and all three outfield positions.
Versatility has always been a big part of McKinstry’s career, but 2026 marked the first season since 2021 where his most-played position was in the outfield. He made 62 appearances in right field, 45 at second base, 34 at shortstop and a handful at third base, in left field and in center field. His +15 DRS ranked in the top 15 among all players, and his +12 FRV was tied for 14th.
National League
Pitcher
Michael McGreevy, Cardinals
Nolan McLean, Mets
Chris Sale, Braves
McGreevy became a mainstay in the Cardinals’ starting rotation this year, and his prowess wasn’t limited to dealing from his seven-pitch arsenal. He was also excellent at fielding his position, to the tune of +5 Defensive Runs Saved -- tied for the most among pitchers in MLB.
McLean, meanwhile, got well-deserved notoriety for his strong rookie campaign with the Mets, but he was also right behind McGreevy with +4 DRS. And Sale, a candidate to win his second Cy Young Award, is also a finalist for winning his second Gold Glove Award.
Catcher
Freddy Fermin, Padres
Gabriel Moreno, D-backs
Luis Torrens, Mets
Fermin was well rounded in his defensive excellence this past season, ranking in the 86th percentile or better in Statcast blocks above average (+10, 93rd percentile), caught stealing above average (+6, 97th) and average pop time (1.88 seconds, 86th).
Moreno, who won a Gold Glove Award behind the plate in 2023, had a breakout year for the D-backs that could net him some down-ballot NL MVP votes, also ranked among the top 20% of qualified catchers in blocks above average and caught stealing above average. He was second only to Dingler with +14 Defensive Runs Saved.
Torrens was third among MLB backstops with +12 DRS, and his +10 fielding run value ranked in the 90th percentile.
First base
Ty France, Padres
Matt Olson, Braves
TJ Rumfield, Rockies
France, who is seeking his second career Gold Glove honor after winning at first base in the AL last year, enjoyed a career year at the plate for San Diego but also led MLB first basemen with +15 Defensive Runs Saved.
The first baseman who ranked first in fielding run value, with +12? That would be Olson, who is seeking his fourth Gold Glove Award. And Rumfield, who emerged as a star rookie for the Rockies, proved to be more than an on-base machine (he led the NL with a .390 OBP) -- he finished with +6 DRS.
Second base
Brandon Lowe, Pirates
Brice Turang, Brewers
JJ Wetherholt, Cardinals
Wetherholt impressed both at the plate and in the field as a rookie, but at the keystone position is where he shined brightest, leading all second basemen and even coming in second among all players -- regardless of position -- with +25 Outs Above Average.
Turang, meanwhile, accomplished the same feat in the Defensive Runs Saved department, with +23 to lead second basemen and finish runner-up among all players. If he wins the honor this year, it will be his second Gold Glove Award after he won in 2024 -- he also won the Platinum Glove Award for the NL that year.
Lowe was stellar as well, with his +15 OAA tied with Turang and Chisholm for second among second basemen. It was quite the year-to-year turnaround for the 32-year-old, who had the worst range among any primary second baseman in 2025.
Third base
Alex Bregman, Cubs
Max Muncy, Dodgers
Javier Sanoja, Marlins
Bregman, who won his first Gold Glove in 2024 in his final year with the Astros, finished with +9 OAA, second among all third basemen behind only the Padres’ Manny Machado (+12). He has shown consistency at the hot corner, grading out as an above-average defender in each of the past seven seasons.
Muncy, by contrast, hasn’t been a plus defender by fielding run value since 2021 (+5), the only previous time he was a Gold Glove finalist. He had a 0 FRV and -1 OAA for the Dodgers in 2026.
Sanoja was the NL’s Gold Glove winner at the utility position in 2025. He continued to play all over the diamond in ’26, but he saw the majority of action at third base this time around. His +6 OAA ranked fourth among NL third basemen, and his +5 FRV was tied for fourth.
Shortstop
Geraldo Perdomo, D-backs
Dansby Swanson, Cubs
Masyn Winn, Cardinals
Winn eyes his second consecutive Gold Glove Award following another strong season with the glove. In fact, his numbers in 2025 (+17 FRV, +21 OAA) are more or less identical to his numbers in ‘26 (+17 FRV, +19 OAA), even though a left thumb fracture limited him to just 136 games. One way Winn got better? His rocket of an arm was even stronger, with 94.4 mph average arm strength leading all middle infielders.
Swanson won consecutive Gold Gloves from 2022-23, and his defense ticked back up again in ‘26 after a subpar performance last season. The 32-year-old became more deft at going to his backhand, recording +16 OAA – more than all but three qualified shortstops – and anchoring one of the game’s all-time great defenses.
Perdomo set new career highs with +13 FRV and +16 OAA. In fact, through his first five years in the Majors, he accrued just +10 OAA. His evolution into one of baseball’s elite defensive shortstops earns him a spot as a Gold Glove finalist for the first time in his career.
Left field
Jackson Chourio, Brewers
Ian Happ, Cubs
Daylen Lile, Nationals
Chourio’s defense took a massive step forward in 2026, setting career highs with +9 FRV and +7 OAA in his third full big league season. He led NL left fielders in both categories.
Happ eyes his fifth consecutive Gold Glove on the heels of another above-average season in left field. Most of his defensive value comes from his arm; Happ recorded nine outfield assists in 2026, tied for eighth most in MLB.
Lile, a second-year player, drew 124 starts in left field for the Nationals, a year after splitting his time between DH, right field and left field. He handled the role admirably, with above-average range (+1 OAA) and a valuable throwing arm (+1 arm value).
Center field
Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs
Michael Harris II, Braves
Andy Pages, Dodgers
Crow-Armstrong is the best defender in baseball. His defense was worth +23 runs, according to FanGraphs’ “defensive runs” metric, which paced all players. PCA also led the Majors in Statcast’s fielding run value (+26) and Outs Above Average (+26), with the latter tied for the most OAA by an outfielder in a single season since at least 2016.
Harris II put together the best defensive season of his young career, with career highs in OAA (+14) and fielding run value (+12). Pages accrued +13 FRV in 2026 – third most among qualified outfielders – in part because of a sensational arm. He led MLB with 14 outfield assists and has recorded double-digit assist totals in consecutive years.
Right field
Carson Benge, Mets
Corbin Carroll, D-backs
Seiya Suzuki, Cubs
Benge, 23, burst onto the scene as an NL Rookie of the Year contender thanks in part to his sublime defense. He was one of seven outfielders to record 10-plus assists and had the most valuable arm in baseball, according to Statcast’s Arm Value metric. Benge’s 96.6 mph average arm strength ranked fifth highest in the game.
Few players improved their defense from 2025 to ‘26 as much as Suzuki. The 32-year-old veteran totaled +8 fielding run value this past season after accruing negative FRV in each of his first four big league seasons. Suzuki’s +14 DRS ranked second highest among all right fielders.
Carroll makes up for a subpar arm with fantastic range: He uses elite speed to cover a ton of ground, ranking in the 95th percentile of MLB with +10 OAA. It’s the third consecutive year that Carroll, a Gold Glove finalist last year, finished with double-digit OAA totals.
Utility
Mauricio Dubón, Braves
Jared Triolo, Pirates
Ildemaro Vargas, D-backs
Dubón claimed the 2023 and ’25 AL Gold Gloves at utility for the Astros and continued to play stellar defense after being traded to Atlanta. He mostly split time between shortstop and left field while also appearing at second base, at third base and in center field. Dubón posted +6 OAA at short, +1 at third, +1 in center, 0 at second and -1 in left.
Triolo would also be a repeat winner: He was the NL’s utility Gold Glover in 2024, his second big league season. In 2026, he saw action mostly at shortstop and third base but also made eight appearances at first base, six in right field and even one in center field. Grading out best at third base, Triolo ended the year with +5 DRS overall for Pittsburgh.
Playing primarily first base (74 appearances) and second base (56), Vargas had a +4 FRV, tied with 2022 for the best of his career. He saw enough action at third base, shortstop and left field to qualify for the utility position, marking the first Gold Glove finalist nod of his career.