Bridgewater, NJ — Minor League Baseball and Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. have announced that New York Yankees right-handed pitching prospect Cade Smith is the recipient of the 2026 Rawlings MiLB Gold Glove Award® for defensive excellence at pitcher.
The winners at each position were selected from players in the 11 full-season Minor Leagues, meaning only one pitcher in Minor League Baseball was awarded the honor.
During the 2027 season, Smith will receive his own Rawlings Gold Glove Award, modeled after the iconic award given to Major League Baseball’s top defensive players.
“These players demonstrated exceptional defensive ability throughout the 2026 season, setting themselves apart as elite fielders,” said Peter Woodfork, Major League Baseball’s Senior Vice President, Minor League Operations and Development. “On behalf of Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball and our valued partners at Rawlings, I’m honored to congratulate each recipient of the prestigious Rawlings Gold Glove Award.”
On the mound, Smith spent the entire 2026 season with Somerset, leading the Patriots with 24 starts and 124.2 IP, while posting a 7-8 record and 5.27 ERA with 119 K.
Defensively, Smith handled 38 total chances, which led all Minor League pitchers, while totaling a .947 fielding percentage. Smith's 21 assists ranked third in MiLB, including three double plays started, which tied for third in MiLB. Smith's 15 putouts at the position ranked fourth in MiLB.
Smith becomes the third Somerset Patriot in six years of the franchise's Double-A history to receive a Minor League Gold Glove Award, joining T.J. Rumfield (1B, 2023) and Jesus Bastidas (2B, 2022).
Smith, the Yankees' No. 21 prospect per MLB Pipeline, was selected by the Yankees in the sixth round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of Mississippi State University.
About the Somerset Patriots
The Somerset Patriots are the New York Yankees Double-A Affiliate and develop today’s top minor league talent into the pinstriped superstars of tomorrow for MLB’s winningest team. The Patriots were named Double-A Organization of the Year by Minor League Baseball (2025) and Baseball America (2024). Home games are played at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, NJ, where fans of all ages and levels of baseball fandom get to enjoy the unique experience that is minor league baseball. To learn more, visit: somersetpatriots.com.