D-backs' Ketel Marte Has Eyes on Lofty Goal in 2026

Arizona Diamondbacks star second baseman Ketel Marte is known for his elite hitting and clutch offensive moments. But he has his eyes on a different aspect of his game for the 2026 season.

Marte has always been, at worst, a solid defender at second base. He's made some highlight-reel quality plays there, as well. But he's never been truly recognized for that. He wants to change that fact this coming season.

"I've been working on my defense. I need a gold glove," Marte told reporters at Salt River Fields emphatically.

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Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte Has Sights Set on Gold Glove

Feb 10, 2026; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Ketel Marte (4) works on fielding drills during workouts at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images | Allan Henry-Imagn Images

Marte said he's been working closely with six-time platinum glove winner Nolan Arenado to improve that aspect of his game. Marte believes that partnership is going to pay dividends.

"We've been working together. He's going to help me to win the gold glove. And it's going to be better with Nolan out there. Our infield is going to be better for sure," Marte said.

"We've got a good infield. We've got two gold gloves on the corner. We've got [Geraldo Perdomo] at short. He's good out there. Let's see what happens."

Marte posted a -1 Fielding Run Value per Statcast in 2025, but was worth +1 Outs Above Average and +1 Defensive Runs Saved. He's only a season removed from a career-best +10 Defensive Runs Saved in 2024, as well.

The potential is clearly there, as is the athleticism. Infield defense has often been a focus of the D-backs' organization. It was certainly a key focal point this offseason, as GM Mike Hazen's acquisition of both Arenado and Santana raises the floor of the D-backs' infield significantly.

Though the D-backs committed the fewest errors in baseball in both 2023 and 2024, they fell to 15th in MLB in 2025 with 84. Hazen felt as if that lapse was a contributing factor to Arizona's overall poor pitching results.

"I think one of the things that we set off into this offseason coming off of last year was a commitment to really fortifying our defense in a lot of the moves that we were trying to make, and I feel like we've tried to stay somewhat stubborn to that," Hazen said.

"We just we really wanted to solidify the corners for this team moving forward, and for the defense from a run prevention standpoint, that's been the reason the last two years we haven't made the playoffs. We wanted to make sure that that wasn't the case going into this year."

If Marte is able to raise his defensive ceiling to Gold Glove status, alongside elite defenders like Arenado and Santana, the D-backs could easily get back to the top of the defensive leaderboards in 2026.