These 5 rookies could win a Gold Glove after excellent debuts

Rookies winning a Gold Glove has become a somewhat common occurrence since 2022, when three first-year names -- Steven Kwan, Jeremy Peña and Brendan Donovan -- added a gold plate to their leather. At least one rookie has won each year since, and the 2026 rookie class has a strong chance to continue that trend.

A total of five newcomers found themselves among the finalists for the 2026 Rawlings Gold Glove Award at their respective positions, as announced Wednesday. MLB managers and coaches will next vote on the players from their league and, combined with the SABR Defensive Index (25% weight in results), will determine the winners for each award. Winners will then be announced on ESPN on Sunday, Nov. 1.

Will any of these five rookies get the nod? Here’s who they are, as well as how they stack up to the competition.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

C Brandon Valenzuela, Blue Jays

Other finalists: Dillon Dingler (Tigers), Austin Wells (Yankees)

Valenzuela was thrust into action this season as stalwart Toronto backstop Alejandro Kirk battled early-season injuries, and the 26-year-old flourished. He finished third among AL catchers in Fielding Run Value with 11, tied with Kirk. He also rated as Statcast’s second-best framer overall and was first in caught stealings above average in the AL.

Valenzuela may have an uphill climb to beat Dingler, who led all MLB catchers in FRV (17) and framing and caught more innings than anyone else in the AL. The Detroit game-caller also had an MLB-best 15 Defensive Runs Saved.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

RF Carson Benge, Mets

Other finalists: Corbin Carroll (Diamondbacks), Seiya Suzuki (Cubs)

Benge made a strong push as the season wound down for the overall NL Rookie of the Year Award, both at the plate and in the outfield. His elite arm strength was a big reason why. No player in MLB generated more fielding runs for their arm than Benge (seven). That shouldn’t come as much of a surprise for someone who was a two-way star in college.

Could Benge stop the Cubs outfield from sweeping all three Gold Gloves? Suzuki was the narrow leader in both FRV (eight) and DRS (14), while Carroll had the edge in OAA (10). But Benge finished behind those two in all three primary metrics.

P Nolan McLean, Mets

Other finalists: Michael McGreevy (Cardinals), Chris Sale (Braves)

McLean certainly fits the “pitchers are athletes, too” narrative. Like his Mets teammate Benge, McLean entered professional baseball with two-way chops. Though he’s focused on pitching (and done it quite well), McLean’s athleticism is still obvious on the mound.

McLean’s four DRS ranked among the NL’s best for pitchers, with McGreevy (five) holding a slight edge and Sale (three) a tick behind.

1B TJ Rumfield, Rockies

Other finalists: Ty France (Padres), Matt Olson (Braves)

Rumfield quietly excelled in his debut campaign, batting .300 with an .843 OPS at the plate. The 26-year-old played strong defense, too. His 4 FRV finished third among NL first basemen, earning positive marks for both his range (+2) and receiving (+2). Rumfield was also tied for third in OAA (2) and fourth in DRS (6) among NL first sackers.

Rumfield, however, falls behind both France and Olson in each of those metrics. Both already with a Gold Glove on their resume, they finished as the top two first basemen across MLB in each of the major metrics.

2B JJ Wetherholt, Cardinals

Other finalists: Brandon Lowe (Pirates), Brice Turang (Brewers)

Wetherholt helped spark the Cardinals with his breakout campaign on both offense and defense. His 23 FRV was second among all MLB players, behind only likely NL MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong (26). The same is true for his 25 OAA, which was a tick behind Crow-Armstrong’s 26.

The only metric that offers pause for Wetherholt’s chance at gold is DRS. Turang held the MLB lead among second basemen with 23, while Wetherholt was a bit behind at 13. Turang, who trailed the rookie with 14 FRV, won the Gold Glove in 2024.