Winners of the 2026 Fielding Bible Awards announced

The winners of the 2026 Fielding Bible Awards, honoring the best defender in Major League Baseball at every position, were announced on Thursday.

The Fielding Bible Awards pick one player at each of the nine positions as the top fielder in MLB at that position, as well as one "multi-position" player, one overall Defensive Player of the Year and a Defensive Team of the Year.

This is the 21st year of the Fielding Bible Awards, which are voted on by a panel of experts based on a combination of stats, the eye test and any other factors the voters choose to consider. The awards are presented by Sports Info Solutions.

Here are the winners for 2026.

Catcher: Dillon Dingler, Tigers
A Tigers catcher hasn't taken home a Fielding Bible Award since Ivan Rodriguez won the first in 2006, a run ably ended by Dingler, who led all catchers with 15 defensive runs saved in 2026.

First base: Matt Olson, Braves
In a very tight race with the Padres' Ty France, Olson wins his sixth Fielding Bible Award at first base, surpassing Albert Pujols for the most won at the position. He's now tied for second most all-time (Yadier Molina, Andrelton Simmons), trailing only Mookie Betts' seven.

Second base: Brice Turang, Brewers
Despite Milwaukee's reputation, Turang is actually the first Brewer to win a Fielding Bible Award since 2019, when Lorenzo Cain won in center field. Turang ranked second in the Major Leagues in 2026 with 23 defensive runs saved.

Third base: Alex Bregman, Cubs
The veteran Bregman, who led all third basemen with 15 DRS, wins his first Fielding Bible Award -- and the Cubs' first at third base -- in his 11th Major League season.

Shortstop: Taylor Walls, Rays
Walls tied for third in the Majors and lapped the field at short with 21 defensive runs saved -- no other player had more than 13 at the position -- and won Tampa Bay's first Fielding Bible Award since 2020 (Kevin Kiermaier, CF).

Left field: Cody Bellinger, Yankees
Back on the board for the first time since 2019, when he won both the right field and multi-position award, Bellinger's 21 DRS in 2026 tied for third in the Majors.

Center field: Ceddanne Rafaela, Red Sox
There was plenty of intrigue in center field, where Rafaela and Pete Crow-Armstrong actually finished in a mathematical tie, each receiving eight first-place votes, seven second-place votes and two third-place votes. Rafaela won courtesy of a DRS tiebreaker -- he had 21 to PCA's 16.

Right field: Wilyer Abreu, Red Sox
After leading the Majors with 28 defensive runs saved in 2026 -- five more than any other player -- Abreu wins his second Fielding Bible Award and gives the Red Sox a majority in the outfield in the process.

Pitcher: Tanner Bibee, Guardians
Bibee remains the only Guardians pitcher to win a Fielding Bible Award -- this is his second, after 2024.

Multi-position: Zach McKinstry, Tigers
Aligned with the spirit of the award, McKinstry, who claims his first Fielding Bible Award, is the sixth player in as many seasons to win in the multi-position category. McKinstry is one of two Tigers to win an award since 2015, joining Riley Greene, who won in left field in 2024.

Player of the Year: Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs
Although Rafaela won in center on that tiebreaker, with the Player of the Year votes open to players at all positions, Crow-Armstrong still got his Fielding Bible flowers.

"We understand the split vote between PCA and Rafaela may seem counterintuitive at first, but ultimately it reflects how historically close the vote was,” said SIS VP of analytics Joe Rosales. “Given the extremely tight margins, and given how great a season both players had, it seems only fitting that both players are getting honored with an award. Congratulations to both Pete and Ceddanne!"

Team of the Year: Cubs
The Cubs are now 2-for-2 in Team of the Year Awards since Sports Info Solutions introduced the category in 2025. It's certainly justified -- Chicago ended the regular season with 115 DRS, 28 more than any other club.