Could Cubs' best-in-show defense become 1st ever to sweep outfield Gold Gloves?

The Cubs have the highest position player FanGraphs Wins Above Replacement of any team in 2026, as both their offense and defense have been the best in baseball, according to some measures.

Led by National League MVP favorite Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Chicago defense, in particular, is performing at a higher level than we’ve ever seen -- at least since Fielding Run Value debuted in 2018. Their 66 FRV beats the 64 put up by the 2018 Diamondbacks for the most ever.

The Cubs have serviceable-to-elite defenders all over the diamond, with Gold Glove Award winners at five spots already. They’ll have an argument to win a few more once this season’s over, as we at MLB.com predicted the club to take home three individual honors in a poll earlier this week.

But this historic Cubs defense could again go where no one has before. Each of their starting outfielders -- Ian Happ in left field, PCA in center and Seiya Suzuki in right -- at least has an argument to be golden this season.

No team -- AL or NL -- has ever swept all three outfield Gold Glove Awards, not since the award became split by position in 2011 nor before. Gold Gloves debuted in 1957.

Several teams have won two of the three Gold Gloves in the same year, including the 2025 Cubs with Happ and Crow-Armstrong, but never all three. This Cubs’ 2026 trio could be the first.

Here’s a look at each player’s standing in the chase.

LF Ian Happ

Happ has already won four consecutive Gold Gloves in left field, and there’s a solid chance he grabs his fifth at year’s end. He earned the nod in our MLB.com poll.

There is competition, however. Happ’s five FRV sits second among NL left fielders, behind six from the Brewers’ Jackson Chourio. They’re both tied with 10 Defensive Runs Saved.

Chourio holds the advantage in range, with four Outs Above Average to Happ’s zero. But Happ makes up ground with his arm, posting five FRV to Chourio’s two.

This one may come down to the voters' preference between the major defensive metrics, or if someone simply wants to see a new face on the ballot. There’s also a chance either player separates himself over the final few weeks. Happ has seen less playing time against left-handed pitching lately, while he also battled left knee discomfort this past week.

CF Pete Crow-Armstrong

The Cubs won’t have to sweat this race. Crow-Armstrong has been the most valuable defender in MLB, with a league-leading 27 FRV -- split by 23 for his range and four for his arm. He’s a shoo-in for his second consecutive Gold Glove at just 24 years old. No other NL center fielder has posted more than 12 FRV (Andy Pages).

The better question is whether PCA will take home his first Platinum Glove, a fan-voting award for the best overall defender in his respective league. And even that shouldn’t be much of a question. The Cardinals’ JJ Wetherholt sits second in the NL behind Crow-Armstrong with 21 FRV at second base.

RF Seiya Suzuki

Suzuki won five Golden Gloves, the Nippon Professional Baseball equivalent to the Gold Glove, before coming to MLB with the Cubs in 2022. He didn’t have quite as much luck in the field over his first four seasons in Chicago, with -9 FRV across those years. He then served mostly as the designated hitter in 2025 with Kyle Tucker manning right field.

But Suzuki has had a renaissance in 2026. His typically average arm over the years has become elite, earning four FRV. He’s also made a massive jump in range at a career-best four OAA. And DRS likes him quite a bit at 13 -- second-most among NL right fielders.

Suzuki’s bid for his first Gold Glove will look a lot like Happ’s chase this season. Suzuki holds a significant lead over all challengers with 8 FRV, beating Carson Benge’s five and Corbin Carroll’s four. Both Benge (-2 range) and Carroll (-5 arm) lack something in FRV’s measurements, while Suzuki is balanced on both sides.

Carroll, however, has a large advantage in range, with 9 OAA to Suzuki’s four. Carroll is additionally the player ahead of Suzuki in DRS with 14, and he earned the nod in our MLB.com poll.

Neither Suzuki nor Carroll has ever won a Gold Glove, so someone is going to take home a well-earned first trophy. But that could be up in the air depending on which metric the voters prefer and what happens to finish the season. After missing two games with low back discomfort this week, Carroll was set to undergo imaging to determine his next steps. Any further missed time could open the door for Suzuki to pull away.