Ryan Young’s first full season in the Majors ended with a Gold Glove.
The Mariners second baseman was named the Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner at his position in the American League on Sunday, beating out Royals second baseman Michael Massey and White Sox infielder Chase Meidroth. The announcement came during a special ESPN telecast.
For Seattle, it was another notable defensive honor in a year that added Young to a short list. He became the club’s first Gold Glove winner since catcher Cal Raleigh and utility player Dylan Moore in 2024, and the first full-time infielder to win one for the Mariners since shortstop J.P.
Crawford and first baseman Evan White in 2020. Young is also just the third second baseman in franchise history to take home the award, joining Bret Boone (2002-04) and Harold Reynolds (1988-90).
His age makes the achievement stand out even more. At 23 years and 60 days old, Young became the third-youngest second baseman ever to win a Gold Glove by season’s end, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Only Ken Hubbs, who was 20 years and 107 days old in 1962, and Bill Mazeroski, who was 21 years and 221 days old in 1958, were younger.
The numbers back up the vote. Young led all AL second basemen in games played (157), innings (1,350 1/3), putouts (223), assists (397), fielding percentage (.990) and defensive runs saved (16).
He also gave Seattle real value with the bat. Over 160 games, Young hit .246/.312/.381 with a .693 OPS, 17 homers, four triples, 19 doubles and 76 runs scored. That production was worth 2.0 wins above replacement, per FanGraphs, and a 102 wRC+, with league average set at 100.
What makes the award feel especially meaningful is how quickly he got here. When Young made his debut on May 31, 2025, he was 21 and still trying to settle into a more permanent defensive home at second base.
He had come up as a shortstop and didn’t move to second more full-time until late in his minor league climb. The glove was still a work in progress, and by the end of that season he had lost the starting job and was left off the Mariners’ postseason rosters.
That offseason changed the trajectory. Young dedicated last winter to physical conditioning, and the work showed up everywhere in 2026. He became Seattle’s Iron Man, missing only two games, and he’s also credited former Mariners infield coach Perry Hill for playing a major role in his progress.
The Gold Glove Awards, presented by Rawlings, have honored the top defenders at each position in the AL and NL since 1957. Major league managers and coaches vote within their own league, though they cannot vote for players on their own team, and that makes up 75% of the selection. The SABR Defensive Index accounts for the remaining 25%.
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