The first names are on the board for the 2026 Rawlings Gold Glove Awards, with pitchers, catchers and first basemen in both leagues now in the finalist pool. The awards will be handed out on ESPN at 8:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 1, after Rawlings completes its position-by-position rollout.
Three players are finalists at every position in each league, including the utility honor. That award has been part of the Gold Glove program since 2022 and uses its own defensive formula developed by Rawlings and SABR.
American League finalists announced
| Position | Finalists |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | Tanner Bibee, Guardians; Jacob deGrom, Rangers; José Soriano, Angels/Blue Jays |
| Catcher | Dillon Dingler, Tigers; Brandon Valenzuela, Blue Jays; Austin Wells, Yankees |
| First base | Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays; Vinnie Pasquantino, Royals; Christian Walker, Astros |
Guerrero, Pasquantino and Walker give the American League first-base race three established regulars, while Dingler, Valenzuela and Wells headline a catcher group built around young backstops handling demanding staffs. On the mound, Bibee, deGrom and Soriano are the three finalists recognized for their work off the rubber.
National League finalists announced
| Position | Finalists |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | Michael McGreevy, Cardinals; Nolan McLean, Mets; Chris Sale, Braves |
| Catcher | Freddy Fermin, Padres; Gabriel Moreno, D-backs; Luis Torrens, Mets |
The National League pitching finalists include Cardinals right-hander McGreevy, Mets pitcher McLean and Braves left-hander Sale. Behind the plate, San Diego’s Fermin, Arizona’s Moreno and New York’s Torrens remain in contention.
How the Gold Gloves are decided
At the nine traditional positions, the voting carries most of the weight. MLB’s 30 managers and as many as six coaches from each club can vote for players in their own league, though they cannot select anyone from their own team. Those ballots account for 75% of the final result.
The remaining 25% comes from the SABR Defensive Index. Utility finalists and winners are determined differently, through the specialized Rawlings-SABR defensive calculation rather than the manager-and-coach voting process.
More finalist groups are still to come, but the early slate already puts the game’s defensive work in focus: the catcher blocking a ball in the dirt, the first baseman digging out a throw, and the pitcher turning quickly to field his position. The hardware arrives Nov. 1.
