The American League Gold Glove race is lined up with three finalists at every position, plus a utility spot back in the mix for the first time since 2022.
Managers and as many as six coaches from each MLB team cast the ballots in their league, though they cannot vote for players on their own club. Those votes count for 75% of the total, while the other 25% comes from the SABR Defensive Index. Utility selections are based on a defensive formula co-developed by Rawlings and SABR.
At pitcher, Tanner Bibee, Jacob deGrom and José Soriano are the three names in the final group. Bibee has the statistical edge in the AL, with +6 Outs Above Average and +5 Defensive Runs Saved, both better than deGrom and Soriano. The winner will be taking home a first Rawlings Gold Glove Award.
Dillon Dingler is back in the catcher field after winning in 2025, and he looks like the one to beat again. Statcast had him in the 90th-plus percentile in blocking, framing and pop time, and he led all catchers with a +17 Fielding Run Value. Brandon Valenzuela reached finalist status as a rookie after ranking among the top five catchers in several defensive categories, while Austin Wells has kept up his strong defensive work since the start of 2024.
Christian Walker enters first base as the established name in the field, and the numbers point that way too. He leads this group in Defensive Run Value and has already won the Rawlings Gold Glove three years in a row, from 2022 through 2024.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. posted his best defensive season by several metrics in 2026 and won the award in 2022. Vinnie Pasquantino, meanwhile, put together a solid defensive year and joins the Royals’ cluster of finalists.
Second base is a real toss-up. Michael Massey owns the advantage in Outs Above Average at +11, while Chase Meidroth has the lead in Fielding Run Value at +10. Cole Young’s profile is split between the metrics: Defensive Runs Saved likes him at +16, while Outs Above Average has him at -5.
Caleb Durbin tops the third-base group in Defensive Runs Saved, finishing with +13 for the AL lead. Brooks Lee made the most of limited time at the hot corner after moving over from shortstop partway through the year, and turned in a +6 Outs Above Average there. Nick Loftin also spent time elsewhere in 2026, but still managed six Defensive Runs Saved in limited innings at third.
Andrés Giménez has already built a Gold Glove resume at second base, winning from 2022-2024, and he carried that defensive reputation to shortstop in 2026 with 19 Outs Above Average. Taylor Walls is back as a finalist for the second straight season, powered by a +21 Defensive Runs Saved total that tied for third among all players at any position. Bobby Witt Jr. is chasing a third straight AL Gold Glove, with Outs Above Average tied for third among all defensive players and a Fielding Run Value tied for the best among shortstops.
In left field, Cody Bellinger stands out after leading all left fielders in baseball in Defensive Runs Saved. He last won a Gold Glove in 2019 as a right fielder.
Wyatt Langford flashed elite range in limited time between injuries and recorded five Outs Above Average. Chandler Simpson added another strong defensive case with eight Outs Above Average, using speed and range to get there.
Center field brings together Evan Carter, Steven Kwan and Ceddanne Rafaela. Carter posted 11 Outs Above Average, the fourth-best mark among center fielders last season, with his speed driving the number.
Kwan is a center-field finalist for the first time in 2026 after previously spending more time in left, and he finished with 11 outfield assists, tied for third-most in MLB. Rafaela also has a strong shot at his first Gold Glove, with Fielding Run Value and Outs Above Average both trailing only Pete Crow-Armstrong.
Right field features Wilyer Abreu, Nathan Lukes and Cam Smith. Abreu’s 28 Defensive Runs Saved were the best at any position in baseball, helped by arm strength that produced the second-most outfield assists in the league.
Lukes had 10 outfield assists and an arm that helped him throw out runners. Smith, a converted infielder, is back among the finalists after appearing there for the second straight season, fueled by seven Outs Above Average.
The utility finalists round out the AL ballot: José Caballero, Ezequiel Duran and Zach McKinstry. Caballero handled every defensive position except pitcher and catcher and is a first-time finalist after posting 12 Defensive Runs Saved.
Duran bounced all over the infield and outfield and finished with the sixth-most Outs Above Average in baseball at 17. McKinstry split most of his time between right field and second base, and his case is built on 15 Defensive Runs Saved and a +12 Fielding Run Value.
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