The Phillies’ glove work in 2026 left them with no Gold Glove finalists, and that absence says plenty about how rough things got on defense.
Philadelphia tied for last in the majors in team Defensive Runs Saved at -51, and the numbers were ugly across the board: bottom-10 in Outs Above Average at -15 and Fielding Run Value at -17. Their .986 fielding percentage looks a little better on paper, but that only goes so far when balls keep turning into hits instead of errors.
That context makes the Gold Glove shutout less shocking than it should be. The Phillies were one of only three National League teams without a finalist, joining the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants, both of whom finished more than 10 games under .500.
Bryson Stott had a real argument to get in. He closed the season at +8 OAA and +4 FRV, but the case fell apart because of a rough -9 DRS grade and because second base was loaded with elite defenders in the Senior Circuit this year.
Still, even if you want to call Stott’s omission a snub, it doesn’t change the bigger picture: the Phillies were flat-out bad as a defensive unit.
And it wasn’t confined to one weak spot. Trea Turner was brutal at shortstop with -17 DRS.
Alec Bohm struggled at third base, finishing at -8 OAA. Bryce Harper had a strange defensive season, posting -5 DRS in right field and -10 FRV at first base.
The problems kept going beyond the infield corners and middle. J.T.
Realmuto, a two-time Gold Glove winner, didn’t match his usual level behind the plate and finished at 0 FRV. Rookie Justin Crawford came in at -2 OAA and -2 FRV in center field.
On the mound, Duran and José Alvarado were also among the league’s worst defensive pitchers, with Duran at -5 DRS and Alvarado at -4 DRS despite each throwing fewer than 60 innings.
The message for Philadelphia is clear. If the Phillies are going to clean this up, they need to get younger, more athletic and smarter defensively. That could mean a bigger winter overhaul than Dave Dombrowski is planning, but as long as this core is carrying that kind of glove work, the World Series talk is going to feel a long way off.
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Marchn has landed in a spot where his margin for error is thin, with the Phillies viewing him as a potential non-tender candidate going into the offseason. That makes what happens in winter ball and then again in spring training especially important, since the club could use both to help decide whether he fits into its plans moving forward. The job now is straightforward but demanding: keep showing enough behind the plate and at the plate to make the Phillies think twice. [Read more 🡒]