
Rawlings handed out the 2026 Gold Glove Awards on Sunday night, and the winners list is a fun mix of familiar names, rising MLB stars and a couple of choices that will likely start arguments in group chats across baseball.
Here is the full list.
In the American League, the winners are: catcher Dillon Dingler (Detroit Tigers), first baseman Christian Walker (Houston Astros), second baseman Cole Young (Seattle Mariners), third baseman Caleb Durbin (Boston Red Sox), shortstop Taylor Walls (Tampa Bay Rays), left fielder Cody Bellinger (New York Yankees), center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela (Red Sox), right fielder Wilyer Abreu (Red Sox), utility man Ezequiel Duran (Texas Rangers) and pitcher Tanner Bibee (Cleveland Guardians).
In the National League, the winners are: catcher Gabriel Moreno (Arizona Diamondbacks), first baseman Matt Olson (Atlanta Braves), second baseman Brice Turang (Milwaukee Brewers), third baseman Alex Bregman (Chicago Cubs), shortstop Geraldo Perdomo (Diamondbacks), left fielder Jackson Chourio (Brewers), center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (Cubs), right fielder Corbin Carroll (Diamondbacks), utility man Mauricio Dubón (Braves) and pitcher Nolan McLean (New York Mets).
Let's start with what jumps out. This is a young man's list in a lot of spots. Young, Durbin, Rafaela, Chourio, Crow-Armstrong, Carroll and McLean are all players whose gloves are becoming part of their identity ... and that is exactly how Gold Glove voting is supposed to work when it is working right. Defense is not a lifetime achievement award. It is a right-now award, and this year’s results reflect that.
The infields tell two different stories. The American League infield is almost entirely fresh blood, with Walker the steady veteran at first base anchoring a group that includes Young and Durbin, who were not household names when the season started. Walls getting the nod at shortstop rewards the eye test as much as the metrics, because his glove has carried his reputation for years. The National League infield leans the other way, with Olson and Bregman bringing the track records and Perdomo and Turang bringing the range up the middle.
Then there is the outfield, which might be the strongest group on either ballot. Bellinger, Rafaela and Abreu give the American League a trio that can cover a ton of ground, and the National League trio might be even better. Chourio, Crow-Armstrong and Carroll are three center fielders playing the corners … in the best possible sense.
Also, do not sleep on the utility picks. Duran and Dubón winning is a nod to something managers value more every year: the guy who can play four positions in a week and not cost you a game at any of them. That versatility used to be a footnote on a Gold Glove ballot. Now it has its own award.
And the pitchers deserve a word, because nobody usually talks about the pitchers. Bibee and McLean winning means they did the quiet stuff right all year, such as fielding their position, holding runners, and making the routine play look routine.
So argue about it, because that is what Sunday night was for. Somebody you love got left off, and somebody on this list will make you shake your head. However, look at the whole ballot together, and it holds up. These are truly the best gloves in baseball, position by position, with a wave of young defenders announcing themselves.
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