Gold Glove Awards 2026: Winners, Selection and the Platinum Difference

The Gold Glove Awards for 2026 have been announced, with the Boston Red Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks leading the field at three winners each. Rawlings' November 1 announcement identifies 11 previous recipients and nine first-time honorees. For readers catching up outside North America, the important distinction is what the awards recognize: individual fielding, across positions and leagues, rather than one overall winner for the whole sport.

Who leads the 2026 winners?

Boston's recipients are third baseman Caleb Durbin, center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela and right fielder Wilyer Abreu. Arizona's are catcher Gabriel Moreno, shortstop Geraldo Perdomo and right fielder Corbin Carroll. The organizer's release provides the full American League and National League results, including each recipient's previous winning years.

Three recipients from one club therefore means three individual honors. It should not be read as a separate team championship or a measurement of everything a club did during the season. Likewise, a player's previous awards provide career context without changing which season the new award evaluates.

Why are there 20 awards rather than 18?

Rawlings describes 18 defensive-position awards, plus one utility recipient from each league. Its October 14 finalists announcement explains that utility winners use a specialized defensive formula developed with the Society for American Baseball Research, separate from the traditional position-award process.

That distinction matters when reading a winners list. Utility is an additional category with its own selection method, rather than a second winner inserted into a single fielding position. The list combines several categories; it is not a ranking from first to twentieth.

Do fans choose the Gold Glove winners?

For the 18 position awards, Rawlings says managers and up to six coaches per team vote among qualified players in their league, excluding their own team's players. The SABR Defensive Index contributes approximately 25 percent of the overall selection total; manager and coach voting supplies the majority.

The method combines voting and statistical input. It should not be presented as a pure fan poll, or as a decision produced entirely by one statistic. It also helps explain why a single memorable defensive clip is not a complete account of the selection process. This article reports the published rules and result, rather than independently recalculating the index or judging every candidate.

What happens with the Platinum Glove?

The November release says Platinum Glove voting remains open through November 5 at 11:59 p.m. ET, with winners revealed November 6 in New York City. The finalists announcement describes that separate honor as combining a national fan vote with the SABR Defensive Index.

These are different stages and different honors. An invitation to vote after the announcement does not mean the Gold Glove results are still undecided. Overseas readers should also note the stated ET deadline rather than assuming it ends at midnight in their own time zone. No Platinum winner is claimed here.

Illustrative photo credit

Glendale-La Loma Park baseball diamond, Berkeley, California, by Mx. Granger, April 16, 2023, is available under CC0 1.0. This existing provider-resized photograph is reused without local pixel changes; display cropping may apply. It illustrates baseball generally, not a winner, professional ballpark or awards ceremony.

Last updated Nov 2, 2026. Suggest a correction ↗