CLEVELAND -- Chandler Simpson opened Instagram in his hotel room Wednesday morning and got the kind of surprise every player wants: he’d been tagged in a post congratulating him on becoming an American League Gold Glove Award finalist.
“Oh, wow,” Simpson thought. “OK, cool.”
For a player whose defense was one of his weakest areas in 2025, the nod is a clear sign of how much ground he’s covered. Simpson, the Rays’ left fielder, is now one of three finalists for the ‘26 AL Gold Glove in left field, alongside the Yankees’ Cody Bellinger and the Rangers’ Wyatt Langford.
For Simpson, the recognition ties directly to the work he poured into his game over the offseason and throughout the season.
“It means a lot, especially after things I needed to work on from last year going into the offseason and then coming into this year, that was a real focal point of my development as a player as a whole. I’m glad I was able to make big strides at the end of this year,” Simpson said.
“Just put in the work, and that’s what I’m all about. That’s just what I tried to do the whole year, and I’m glad that results came of that.”
The progress shows up in the numbers, too. Simpson’s speed has always been part of the package, but this year he also sharpened the rest of the defensive side - better reads, better positioning and a stronger overall feel in the outfield. The result: a huge leap from minus-5 outs above average in 2025, when he ranked in the 11th percentile in MLB, to plus-8 in ‘26, good for the 93rd percentile.
His defensive runs saved flipped just as dramatically, moving from minus-9 last year to plus-8 this season.
“I think that is maybe one of the coolest stories of our season, where he was defensively last year, where he's come to this year,” manager Kevin Cash said. “I give Chandler all the credit, but if you're going to look at the help along the way, [first-base coach] Corey Dickerson has been right by his side. And I see the conversations and the interactions they have on a daily basis.”
Dickerson, a former outfielder, has played a major role in the Rays’ defensive improvement across the board. Jonny DeLuca has taken a step forward, and Cedric Mullins - already known as a strong defender - has posted better metrics as well.
When Simpson saw Dickerson at Progressive Field on Wednesday after the finalists were announced, the first thing Dickerson said was classic clubhouse humor.
“He told me, ‘It’s better if you win it,’” Simpson said with a smile. “Which, I feel the same way.”
Even with the joke, Simpson made it clear how much he values Dickerson’s influence in his first year in the role.
“He’s been such a great help,” Simpson said. “I know I put in the work, but just his guidance and knowledge and everything that he’s put forth into me, I appreciate him a lot, for sure.”
Tampa Bay’s defense has been a big reason for its success this season, and that part of the game will matter even more as the Rays try to climb back in the AL Championship Series. They currently trail the Guardians, 2-1.
Simpson may not be the only plus defender on the roster, but he is the team’s biggest defensive breakthrough this year. Taylor Walls, who is also a Gold Glove finalist, said the leap deserves real recognition.
“Just going from last year to this year, last year some people were saying that he was one of the worst defenders, and now to have the honor to be recognized as a finalist and potentially winning it is awesome. I could only imagine how proud he is of himself,” Walls said. “To see that kind of jump and get recognized for it, it’s just confirmation and affirmation that what he did this offseason really paid off.
“He’ll continue to work and grow, and if he wins it, if he doesn’t, hopefully make some more strides next year and give himself another opportunity next year and the years after, too.”
In Other News...
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Rays Let A Winnable ALCS Game Slip Away At Worst Time
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Instead, Cleveland kept making the right pitches and plays when it mattered, and the game flipped in the middle innings before the Rays could respond. The loss left Tampa Bay with a 2-1 series deficit, a particularly painful outcome after letting a winnable game slip away at the worst possible time in the series. [Read more 🡒]