Happy birthday to Hall of Famer Jim Kaat, who turns 88 today. Over 25 big league seasons, Kaat put together a 3.45 ERA and 283 wins, with 15 of those years coming for the Twins/Senators franchise. He also won 16 straight Gold Gloves, which fits neatly with a day built around defense.
Rawlings handed out more hardware Friday, and Cody Bellinger and Pete Crow-Armstrong came away with the top individual defensive honor in each league. After both were named Gold Glove winners last Sunday, the two outfielders added Platinum Gloves to the haul, with Bellinger taking the AL award and Crow-Armstrong the NL award. It was the first Platinum Glove for each player.
For Crow-Armstrong, the recognition is just the latest stop on a trophy run. Along with his Gold Glove, the Cubs center fielder also won the Fielding Bible Award for best defensive player of 2026, and he is widely expected to be named NL MVP on November 12.
Chicago’s defensive awards didn’t stop there. The Cubs also earned the team Gold Glove, given to the best overall defensive club in the league.
Crow-Armstrong was one part of a group that led the majors with 72 Outs Above Average and +115 Defensive Runs Saved. The gap behind them was sizable: the next-best marks were the Diamondbacks’ 44 OAA and the Rays’ +87 DRS.
Toronto joined Chicago on the team side, with the Blue Jays winning the AL team Gold Glove. They finished with 15 OAA and +51 DRS, placing 11th and sixth in the majors in those categories. Since Rawlings began awarding the team Gold Glove in 2020, the Cubs and Blue Jays have each taken it home three times.
In Other News...
Blue Jays Just Earned Recognition That Says Plenty About This Roster
The Blue Jays added another piece of hardware to a season that already says plenty about how this roster is built, earning the American League team Gold Glove award as one of the game's steadiest defensive clubs. Around the league, the Cubs and Yankees had their own defensive standouts recognized on the individual side, with Pete Crow-Armstrong and Cody Bellinger taking home Platinum Glove honors in their respective leagues.
For Toronto, the team award matters because it reflects the kind of run prevention that can carry a club through a long season even when the spotlight lands elsewhere. It also underscores how much value the Blue Jays placed on defense across the roster, even in a year when they did not have an individual Gold Glove winner to point to. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Still Have Two Rare Bright Spots After A Frustrating Year
Even in a frustrating year for Toronto, the Blue Jays still have a couple of individual accolades in play. Dylan Cease and Louis Varland were both named finalists for major American League pitching awards, a reminder that the clubs season did not lack for standout arms even if the bigger picture never came together the way it hoped.
Cease put together a strong enough 2026 to land among the leagues top starters, while Varland emerged as one of the most reliable late-inning options in the game. The awards will be announced Nov. 11, and Toronto will be watching closely, even if the teams lack of a playoff berth could make the voting harder to navigate than the performances themselves. [Read more 🡒]
Max Scherzer Just Opened The Door To One More Season
Max Scherzers first season in Toronto ended with a reminder of why the Blue Jays were willing to bet on him in the first place. After a year interrupted by multiple injuries and uneven results, the veteran right-hander finished his final start with seven innings and seven strikeouts, a sharp late-season outing that hinted he still has plenty left in the tank even after a 5.74 ERA across 18 starts.
Now comes the part that matters for both Scherzer and the Blue Jays: he plans to use offseason lockout games as a way to judge whether another year is in play. For a pitcher who has built his career on relentless competitiveness and a refusal to go quietly, the decision is no longer just about what he did this season, but whether his body and arm will tell him there is one more run left in 2027. [Read more 🡒]