ESPN to broadcast exclusive show unveiling Gold Glove winners Sunday, Nov. 1
ST. LOUIS, Oct. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc., announced the finalists for the 2026 Rawlings Gold Glove Award®, honoring the best individual fielding performances at each position in the American League® and National League®. The winners will be unveiled during a one-hour, special-edition “Baseball Tonight” broadcast on ESPN Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, at 8:30 p.m. ET.
While the award originated in 1957, Rawlings first began highlighting the top three defenders at each position as finalists in 2011. This season, the Toronto Blue Jays led the AL and the Chicago Cubs topped the NL, with five finalists each.
“Offense wins moments, but defense wins baseball games. A stellar defensive play can change an inning, shift the momentum of a game, or define an entire season. This year’s Rawlings Gold Glove Award finalists have consistently made that difference for their teams,” said Mike Thompson, chief marketing officer of Rawlings. “Rawlings has proudly honored defensive excellence for nearly 70 years, and the talent on display continues to elevate the award. Each season brings a new level of competition, making it truly special to witness and be a part of this tradition.”
To determine the winners of the 18 defensive position Awards, each team’s manager and up to six coaches on his staff vote from a pool of qualified players in their League and cannot vote for players from their own team. In 2013, Rawlings added the SABR Defensive Index™ (SDI) to the Rawlings Gold Glove Award selection process, which comprises approximately 25 percent of the overall selection total, with the managers’ and coaches’ votes continuing to carry the majority.
To identify the utility Award winners, Rawlings collaborated with the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) to create a specialized defensive formula separate from the traditional selection process for the Rawlings Gold Glove Award position winners. Utilizing the SABR formula and additional defensive statistics, Rawlings will select one utility winner from each League.
2026 Rawlings Gold Glove Award Finalists – American League
|
Position |
Player |
Team |
|
P |
José Soriano |
Toronto Blue Jays |
|
Jacob deGrom |
Texas Rangers |
|
|
Tanner Bibee |
Cleveland Guardians |
|
|
C |
Brandon Valenzuela |
Toronto Blue Jays |
|
Austin Wells |
New York Yankees |
|
|
Dillon Dingler |
Detroit Tigers |
|
|
1B |
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. |
Toronto Blue Jays |
|
Christian Walker |
Houston Astros |
|
|
Vinnie Pasquantino |
Kansas City Royals |
|
|
2B |
Michael Massey |
Kansas City Royals |
|
Chase Meidroth |
Chicago White Sox |
|
|
Cole Young |
Seattle Mariners |
|
|
3B |
Nick Loftin |
Kansas City Royals |
|
Brooks Lee |
Minnesota Twins |
|
|
Caleb Durbin |
Boston Red Sox |
|
|
SS |
Bobby Witt Jr. |
Kansas City Royals |
|
Andrés Giménez |
Toronto Blue Jays |
|
|
Taylor Walls |
Tampa Bay Rays |
|
|
LF |
Cody Bellinger |
New York Yankees |
|
Wyatt Langford |
Texas Rangers |
|
|
Chandler Simpson |
Tampa Bay Rays |
|
|
CF |
Steven Kwan |
Cleveland Guardians |
|
Ceddanne Rafaela |
Boston Red Sox |
|
|
Evan Carter |
Texas Rangers |
|
|
RF |
Nathan Lukes |
Toronto Blue Jays |
|
Cam Smith |
Houston Astros |
|
|
Wilyer Abreu |
Boston Red Sox |
|
|
UTILITY |
Zach McKinstry |
Detroit Tigers |
|
Ezequiel Duran |
Texas Rangers |
|
|
José Caballero |
New York Yankees |
2026 Rawlings Gold Glove Award Finalists – National League
|
Position |
Player |
Team |
|
P |
Nolan McLean |
New York Mets |
|
Michael McGreevy |
St. Louis Cardinals |
|
|
Chris Sale |
Atlanta Braves |
|
|
C |
Freddy Fermin |
San Diego Padres |
|
Luis Torrens |
New York Mets |
|
|
Gabriel Moreno |
Arizona Diamondbacks |
|
|
1B |
Ty France |
San Diego Padres |
|
Matt Olson |
Atlanta Braves |
|
|
TJ Rumfield |
Colorado Rockies |
|
|
2B |
JJ Wetherholt |
St. Louis Cardinals |
|
Brice Turang |
Milwaukee Brewers |
|
|
Brandon Lowe |
Pittsburgh Pirates |
|
|
3B |
Max Muncy |
Los Angeles Dodgers |
|
Alex Bregman |
Chicago Cubs |
|
|
Javier Sanoja |
Miami Marlins |
|
|
SS |
Masyn Winn |
St. Louis Cardinals |
|
Dansby Swanson |
Chicago Cubs |
|
|
Geraldo Perdomo |
Arizona Diamondbacks |
|
|
LF |
Ian Happ |
Chicago Cubs |
|
Daylen Lile |
Washington Nationals |
|
|
Jackson Chourio |
Milwaukee Brewers |
|
|
CF |
Andy Pages |
Los Angeles Dodgers |
|
Pete Crow-Armstrong |
Chicago Cubs |
|
|
Michael Harris II |
Atlanta Braves |
|
|
RF |
Corbin Carroll |
Arizona Diamondbacks |
|
Carson Benge |
New York Mets |
|
|
Seiya Suzuki |
Chicago Cubs |
|
|
UTILITY |
Ildemaro Vargas |
Arizona Diamondbacks |
|
Mauricio Dubón |
Atlanta Braves |
|
|
Jared Triolo |
Pittsburgh Pirates |
The 2026 finalists include 22 former Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners – 9 in the AL and 13 in the NL.
Following the Rawlings Gold Glove Award televised announcement special on ESPN, Sunday, Nov. 1, fans can vote for their favorite defensive player in each league to determine who will be named the Rawlings Platinum Glove Award™ winners. A combination of the national fan vote and the SDI will determine who takes home the honor.
Voting for the Rawlings Platinum Glove Award presented by SABR will begin online at www.Rawlings.com on Sunday, Nov. 1, at 9:30 p.m. ET and will remain open until Thursday, Nov. 5, at 11:59 p.m. ET. The Rawlings Platinum Glove Award winners will be unveiled at the Rawlings Gold Glove Award Ceremony in New York City, on Friday, Nov. 6.
About the Rawlings Gold Glove Award®
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award® is a registered trademark owned by Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. The award is correctly identified as the Rawlings Gold Glove Award. The name should not be shortened, abbreviated, or otherwise misused. Proper identification of this service mark using the registration symbol and the Rawlings name is important to protect the integrity of the program and perpetuate this worthy tradition. For more information, please visit www.Rawlings.com.
About Rawlings®
Established in 1887, Rawlings is an innovative leading global brand and manufacturer of premium baseball and softball equipment, including gloves, balls, and protective headwear. Rawlings’ unparalleled quality, innovative engineering and expert craftsmanship are the fundamental reasons why more professional athletes, national governing bodies and sports leagues choose Rawlings.
Rawlings is the official glove, baseball, helmet and faceguard, and base of Major League Baseball, the official baseball of Minor League Baseball and the official baseball and softball of the NCAA and NAIA, and the official softball of the NJCAA. For more information, please visit www.Rawlings.com.
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