Toronto Blue Jays lose team Gold Glove Award to Texas Rangers despite better defensive metrics
Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
The Toronto Blue Jays lost the team Gold Glove award to the Texas Rangers, despite having over twice the fielding run value in 2025.
First it was the Ernie Clement snub for the utility player Gold Glove, and now the Blue Jays lose out to the Rangers for the team Gold Glove despite having better overall numbers.
Lets start with Ernie Clement:
Clement lost to Mauricio Dubón, of the Houston Astros, won his second Gold Glove Award in the utility position.
He logged 960.2 innings combined over seven positions. Overall, he logged a .983 fielding percentage, 14 defensive runs saved, and 20 outs above average.
His fielding percentage is heavily skewed by a .930 percentage at left field over 175.1 innings.
Clement was most deserving of the utility player over third base. Clement trailed Dubón in fielding percentage with a .979, but his lowest at any position was a .972 percentage at shortstop.
The Blue Jay also slightly trailed in outs above average (15). The most significant difference and compelling case for Clement is defensive runs saved, where he had 22.
His 22 runs saved also tied Steven Kwan for the most in all of MLB. Leading all of MLB should be quite the feat for someone to be considered a Gold Glove winner; however, it seems the league decided to award Dubón for playing three additional positions.
Ernie Clement Defense:
Defensive Runs Saved: 22 (Most in the Majors)
Fielding Run Value: 10 (T-2nd among American League Infielders)
Outs Above Average: 13 (T-3rd among American League Infielders)
The utility award is made precisely to honor such versatility and it was difficult not to see the popular Blue Jay as the winner. Can we really trust the Gold Glove voting process anymore?
The Gold Glove Awards are determined, by and large, through voting conducted among MLB managers and coaches.
There's also an aggregate statistical input that weighs defensive metrics "derived from batted ball location-based data and those collected from play-by-play accounts."
Despite better defensive metrics Blue Jays lose team Gold Glove Award to Texas Rangers
The Blue Jays lost the team Gold Glove award to the Rangers, despite having over twice the fielding run value in 2025. Can we really trust the Gold Glove anymore?
The Chicago Cubs and Toronto Blue Jays led their respective leagues and tied for the overall majors lead with six finalists apiece.
Catcher: Alejandro Kirk
First Base: Ty France / Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Second Base: Andrés Giménez,
Third Base: Ernie Clement
Utility: Ernie Clement
First Base: Ty France / Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Second Base: Andrés Giménez,
Third Base: Ernie Clement
Utility: Ernie Clement
The Chicago Cubs with the same amount of finalists won the team Gold Glove for the National league.
The Texas Rangers won the team Gold Glove despite having only 4 finalists to Toronto's 6 and having half the field run value than the Blue Jays. Wild.
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