Four Royals Named Finalists for Gold Glove Award after 2026 Season
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With the offseason starting up, it also coincides with award season, and the Royals have a chance to see multiple Gold Glove winners across the infield. The four finalists are Bobby Witt Jr., Nick Loftin, Vinnie Pasquantino, and Michael Massey, as they look to add some hardware to their mantles.
They will face tough competition for the award, but the four finalists show the Royals' infield defense was one of the best in the league. Here is how each player's season panned out defensively and their chances of winning the award.
Bobby Witt Jr.
It might have been an odd offensive year for Bobby Witt Jr., but he is still one of the best defenders on the planet and will be in the running for the Platinum Glove once again. He was third in the league in OAA at 24, third in FRV at 17, and had a career high in OAA with 8. Andrés Giménez and Taylor Walls are his fellow finalists, and Giménez poses the biggest threat to BWJ claim to three straight seasons of the honor.
BWJ has a chance to win three straight Gold Gloves as well as Silver Sluggers, and with his defensive prowess being similar to his 2025 self he should walk away with his third honor.
Nick Loftin
The utilityman wasn't nominated for the utility Gold Glove, but the third baseman Gold Glove after taking over for an injured Maikel Garcia. At the hot corner, Loftin put together a great season with 6 OAA, 5 FRV, and 6 DRS. In the AL, he was second in OAA and FRV and he did it in 582.1 innings at the hot corner. His competition is Brooks Lee and Caleb Durbin, who both put together good defensive seasons.
While the numbers between all three finalists are close, the volume for Loftin will probably prevent him from winning the Gold Glove, but it was nice to see the Royals develop another good defensive third baseman.
Vinnie Pasquantino
It might have been an injury-riddled season for Vinnie, but he put together his best defensive output at first base in 2026. For 1B in the AL, he was second in DRS with 6 and had values of 1 in both FRV and OAA. For Vinnie, he is looking to get the first Gold Glove at first base for the Royals since 2017 when Eric Hosmer won it. His competition is stiff, however, as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Christian Walker put together great seasons.
It is very unlikely Vinnie wins the award, but he did put together one of the better defensive seasons in the AL, and if that form continues the Royals will have a good defensive first baseman.
Michael Massey
The second base Gold Glove will be a tightly contested one, and Michael Massey has a solid argument to take the award. He was second in the AL in OAA with 11, tied for second in FRV with 8, and tied for second in DRS with 5. His competition is Chase Meidroth and Cole Young, both of whom have arguments for and against winning the award.
2026 was a big season for Massey in the field, and while it will be a tight affair, he has a solid chance to take the Gold Glove at the keystone. If he does win the award, it will be the first Royals' 2B to win it since 2006, when Mark Grudzielanek took home the award.
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Trey is no stranger to writing about the Royals as he has done it for 6 years now for various blogs (Kings of Kauffman, Inside The Royals, and Farm to Fountains). He is a graduate of Baker University with a degree in Mass Media with an emphasis in sports media. He enjoys watching and researching sports as well as gaming.
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