Blue Jays Make History With Third Gold Glove Team Award in Four Years
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It was to be expected, given the great collective work in recent years, so, after winning the award in consecutive years in 2023 and 2024, the Toronto Blue Jays were selected as the best defensive team in the American League in 2026, receiving the Rawlings Gold Glove Team Award.
The Jays have now become the first American League team to earn three team awards since the category began in 2020. Since the creation of the team awards in both leagues, six organizations have taken home the honors in the American League: the Cleveland Guardians opened the history in 2020, followed by the Houston Astros in 2021 and the New York Yankees in 2022. Toronto dominated the following two seasons, but the Texas Rangers joined the elite in 2025.
The Key to How the Blue Jays Led Defensive Excellence
Toronto finished first in the Major Leagues with +46 Fielding Run Value, third in the American League with 51 Defensive Runs Saved and fifth with 14 Outs Above Average, with five individual finalists, but none of them could win a Gold Glove.
Toronto’s five individual finalists, Brandon Valenzuela (catcher), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (first base), Andres Giménez (shortstop), Nathan Lukes (right field) and Jose Soriano (pitcher), matched the number of the Chicago Cubs, the most among all MLB organizations.
Gimenez, a three-time Gold Glove winner and Platinum Glove winner, led the Blue Jays’ defense with +16 Fielding Run Value in his return as the starting shortstop, one of the team’s most important defensive moves in 2026.
Another player with a major impact was rookie catcher Brandon Valenzuela, who contributed +11 Fielding Run Value, standing out for his great work in pitch framing and controlling the running game, consistency that was key especially when the position’s starter, Alejandro Kirk, spent time on the injured list.
Guerrero Jr. finished with a +6.2 SABR Defensive Index, higher than Christian Walker’s (+5.3), but Houston’s first baseman had better numbers in Fielding Run Value (+7 against +5), and was also more consistent in Receiving OAA (+3 against +2).
Although Vladdy got better returns in Defensive Runs Saved (+10 against +3) and Outs Above Average (+4 against +3), voters leaned more toward Walker’s defensive reliability, as he showed more stability throughout the entire season.
The other two controversies came with Nathan Lukes, who recorded a +6.9 SABR Defensive Index, one of the ten best individual results in the American League, and pitcher Jose Soriano, who were defeated by Wilyer Abreu (Boston Red Sox) and Tanner Bibee (Cleveland Guardians), respectively.
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Yirsandy is a baseball writer specializing in MLB coverage with experience across multiple teams and storylines. He currently writes for Diamond Centric, where he covers the New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, and Kansas City Royals. My work focuses on game coverage, player analysis, and storytelling that connects performance with context. My Substack has also been an important part of my writing development, where I’ve built much of my baseball coverage and storytelling voice over time. I’m passionate about combining reporting, research, and thoughtful analysis to produce engaging baseball content for readers.
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