Chase Meidroth turned his move to second base into a Gold Glove finalist spot.
The White Sox infielder is one of three American League finalists at second base for the 2026 Rawlings Gold Glove Award, alongside Kansas City’s Michael Massey and Seattle’s Cole Young. It’s Meidroth’s first Gold Glove nomination, and he’s the only White Sox player among this year’s finalists.
Meidroth spent most of his rookie season in 2025 at shortstop, then settled in at second in 2026 and made the switch look natural. He finished first among AL second basemen with a +10 Fielding Run Value, giving Chicago a reliable presence in the middle of the infield. He also graded as a plus defender during his limited time at shortstop in 2026, so the new job description clearly didn’t limit him.
The Statcast numbers are especially kind to him. Meidroth’s comparison graphic shows him in the 92nd percentile in FRV, ahead of Massey at 83rd and far above Young at 18th. He and Massey also land in the 95th percentile in Outs Above Average, while Young sits in the ninth percentile.
Those are percentile rankings, not raw totals, but they still make the case that Meidroth had a strong defensive season. His arm strength is in the ninth percentile, yet the overall production has him squarely in the conversation. In the field, the work is the work.
The other defensive metrics tell a different story, which is why this race isn’t a runaway. The Fielding Bible’s Defensive Runs Saved has Young leading the trio with 16, Massey at five, and Meidroth at zero.
Traditional fielding percentage keeps them closer together. Massey and Young both finished at .990, while Meidroth checked in at .986. He made eight errors over 1,275 2/3 innings as he handled a heavy load at his new position.
Fielding percentage only captures the plays a fielder is charged with making. It doesn’t show everything he got to before the ball became a chance. That’s why the broader metrics matter here, even if they don’t all agree on which finalist deserves the edge.
Each league has three finalists at every position. MLB’s 30 managers and up to six coaches per team vote for players in their own league, with no one allowed to vote for someone on their own club. Those votes count for 75% of the award, and the SABR Defensive Index makes up the other 25%.
ESPN will announce the winners on Sunday, Nov. 1.
Meidroth has already turned a position change into a Gold Glove nod. Now he waits to see whether his second big league season ends with hardware.
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