Rays Have Two Gold Glove Finalists at Respective Positions
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There are a lot of reasons why the Tampa Bay Rays have found as much success on the field this season as they have.
The American League East champions and No. 1 seed in the AL are in a tough battle with the Cleveland Guardians in the ALCS, with the series tied 1-1 heading to Progressive Field for the next three.
One of the major contributing factors to the team winning so much is how good their defense has been. They were second in MLB in Total Defensive Runs Saved with 87, behind only the Chicago Cubs, who recorded 115. Those two teams created a massive gap with the third-place team, the Boston Red Sox, at 67.
It should come as no surprise, then, that the Rays are well represented on the list of 2026 Rawlings Gold Glove Award Finalists. Making the list are shortstop Taylor Walls and left fielder Chandler Simpson.
Taylor Walls, Chandler Simpson named Gold Glove finalists
Walls is joined by Andres Gimenez of the Toronto Blue Jays and Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals at shortstop. Along with Simpson in left field, the finalists are Cody Bellinger of the New York Yankees and Wyatt Langford of the Texas Rangers.
Seeing Walls as a finalist comes as little surprise. He was also named a finalist when he racked up 18 Defensive Runs Saved in 2025, which was tied for sixth in MLB despite playing in only 98 games and 750.2 innings.
This season, he was just as good. He finished in a tie for third in MLB with 21 DRS, which led all shortstops. However, not all defensive metrics are favorable for Walls, who has recorded a -2 Fielding Run Value, which falls in the 35th percentile, per Statcast, with an Outs Above Average of -3, which is in the 22nd percentile.
Simpson being a finalist is an incredible achievement. He struggled mightily playing the outfield as a rookie in 2025 but worked tirelessly this offseason, including work with Kevin Kiermaier during spring training.
Your 2026 Rawlings Gold Glove Award Finalists!
— Rawlings Baseball (@RawlingsSports) October 14, 2026
Winners will be announced on 11/1! #RawlingsGoldGloveAwards pic.twitter.com/vwQ97Ru3iv
Those reps did wonders for him, turning him into a stellar defender in left field. Simpson was in the 67th percentile with a +3 Fielding Run Value. His +8 Outs Above Average was elite in the 94th percentile.
Per Statcast, he had an 8 Defensive Runs Saved, which was tied for the seventh-best mark amongst left fielders. Simpson doesn’t have a strong arm, but he more than makes up for it with his elite speed.
Both Tampa Bay players are facing stiff competition to win a Gold Glove Award, but both are certainly deserving with how well they have played defense this season.
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Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. Previously, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.