Blue Jays win AL Team Gold Glove, third in four years

The Toronto Blue Jays were named the American League Team Gold Glove winner for 2026 on Friday night, the third time in four seasons the club has finished as the league’s best defensive team, Rawlings announced.

The Chicago Cubs won the National League version of the award, Sportsnet and MLB.com reported. Rawlings began honouring the top defensive team in each league after the 2020 season.

The Team Gold Gloves go to the clubs that grade out best in the SABR Defensive Index, a model developed by the Society for American Baseball Research. Sportsnet reported that Toronto ranked third in the American League with 51 defensive runs saved, fifth with 14 outs above average and first in fielding run value at 46. The Blue Jays finished with a team fielding percentage of .983.

The team award arrived without an individual one. Toronto had five finalists for a Gold Glove at their positions: first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., shortstop Andrés Giménez, Brandon Valenzuela, Nathan Lukes and José Soriano. None won, Sportsnet reported. Giménez was the club’s top defender by fielding run value at 16, after moving back to shortstop following several seasons spent mostly at second base.

Rawlings also announced the Platinum Glove winners, given to the best defensive player in each league regardless of position. Cubs centre fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong won in the National League and Cody Bellinger of the New York Yankees won in the American League, MLB.com reported. TheScore reported that Crow-Armstrong led qualified outfielders with 25 outs above average, and that Bellinger had 21 defensive runs saved, the most among American League left fielders.

TheScore reported that the Cubs committed only 61 errors in 2026, the fewest in the majors, and led baseball in defensive runs saved with 115 and in outs above average with 73. They had two individual Gold Glove winners, including Crow-Armstrong.

For Toronto, the honour comes as the club turns to the off-season. Sportsnet’s latest coverage focuses on free agency, trade candidates and salary arbitration eligibility, and Canada News Media has previously reported on how the Blue Jays approached last off-season. Bellinger, who took the Platinum Glove in the American League, was earlier profiled when he returned to the Yankees.

The announcement was among the most-searched baseball topics in Canada on Saturday morning, according to Google Trends.

Sources: Sportsnet, MLB.com, theScore. Canada News Media rewrote the facts in its own words.

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