The Braves landed four names on the Gold Glove finalist list, with Chris Sale, Michael Harris II, Matt Olson and Mauricio Dubón all in the mix for hardware.
That kind of showing fits Atlanta’s identity. The club has had its issues in recent seasons, but defense hasn’t been one of them, and this year’s finalists reflect that strength all over the diamond.
Harris is the headliner. He’s already one of the game’s best defensive players, but he’s stuck in a crowded outfield field where elite gloves keep popping up.
Pete Crow-Armstrong is expected to win the award again this season, which makes the path tougher for Harris. Still, the talent is obvious, and there’s a strong belief that a Gold Glove will come his way eventually.
Olson also has a clear case at first base. He’s widely viewed as the best defensive first baseman in baseball, and his trophy case already includes three Gold Gloves. A fourth feels close.
Dubón is another strong candidate, especially in the utility race. He’s shown he can handle shortstop, the most demanding position on the field, and he’s just as steady in the outfield.
One of his biggest defensive moments came in the NLDS, when he robbed Freddie Freeman of a home run with the series tied 1-1. If he gets the nod, it would be the third Gold Glove of his career.
Sale rounds out the group, and a win would give him a second Gold Glove, both of them coming with the Braves. At 37, he’s putting together the best baseball of his career, and the little things have always mattered with him. It’s a big reason his Hall of Fame résumé keeps getting stronger.
In Other News...
Braves Shortstop Search Could Force A Price They Hate
Atlantas search for a long-term answer at shortstop keeps circling back to a familiar problem: the best fits are rarely easy to get. Otto Lopez has moved into that conversation after a career year with Miami, one that included his first All-Star nod and a league-leading hit total, and the Marlins are now reportedly open to hearing trade ideas this offseason.
For the Braves, the attraction is obvious, but so is the cost of doing business with a division rival. Any serious pursuit would almost certainly mean parting with a premium prospect, the kind of price that tests how badly a club wants certainty at a premium position. That leaves Atlanta weighing a clean fit against the sort of return Miami would be positioned to demand. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Offseason Suddenly Centers On One Rotation Problem
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Even so, the bigger issue is how much certainty the Braves really have beyond the names they know. With some rotation pieces still carrying uncertainty, the offseason may demand more than a simple tweak, and the club's ability to stabilize that group will go a long way toward setting the tone for 2027. For a team that wants to keep pace in the National League, the answers on the mound may matter just as much as any bat it adds. [Read more 🡒]
What It Would Really Take For Braves To Move Ronald Acuna Jr
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Even with Acunas injury history, prying him away would take far more than a routine prospect package, and that is before you get into the clubs leverage with his contract situation. The Braves hold control for two more seasons, which only raises the bar for any rival trying to make a serious push, and it is why any hypothetical Boston offer would have to be the kind of overpay that strips a roster down to the studs. [Read more 🡒]