The 2026 Rawlings Gold Glove Awards finalists are out, and one name, Dillon Dingler, is basically a slam dunk for the catcher’s award in the American League. We’re talking about a guy who should be absolutely favored to take home the Gold Glove, hands down, for being the game’s best defensive catcher. This isn’t just hype, the numbers back it up big time, and honestly, if he doesn’t win, something’s seriously off with how these things are decided.
Dingler’s Defensive Dominance Is No Joke
Let’s break it down: Dillon Dingler’s defensive performance this season was just insane. He racked up a ridiculous +15 defensive runs saved (DRS) according to Sports Info Solutions. And if you prefer Statcast, his fielding run value (FRV), which is their combined catching metric, was an equally bonkers +16. We’re not talking about just being good here, we’re talking about leading all qualified catchers by a wide, wide margin. Dude played in 145 games total, with a staggering 116 of those behind the plate, showing up night after night.
Compare that to his competition. Austin Wells from the Yankees posted a respectable +8 DRS and +7 FRV. Brandon Valenzuela of the Blue Jays was excellent defensively too, even with less playing time, hitting +9 DRS and +13 FRV. Those are good numbers, for sure, but they are nowhere near Dingler’s elite level. On defense alone, Dingler absolutely wins. If you look at his total impact on his team, nobody else is even in the same zip code. This award is his to lose, plain and simple.
McKinstry’s Utility Fight: An Uphill Battle?
While Dingler looks like a shoo-in, Zach McKinstry, the other finalist from the same team, is facing a much tougher fight in the utility category. McKinstry put up a solid +8 Outs Above Average (OAA), and what’s really cool is he showed off plus values at shortstop, second base, and even surprised everyone in right field with his defensive prowess. He was a revelation out there!
But he’s up against some serious competition. José Caballero from the Yankees, who literally played just about everywhere this season except first base and catcher, finished with +2 OAA. Ezequiel Duran of the Rangers is probably the favorite here, coming in with a stellar +13 OAA, mostly at shortstop, though he also bounced around the infield and outfield. Caballero has that “best team” advantage, which sometimes swings votes, but his numbers just don’t stack up against McKinstry or Duran. It’s tough, but Duran probably takes this one, even though McKinstry really does match up pretty well. The kicker? The Gold Gloves aren’t just about DRS or OAA. The winners are chosen by managers and coaches from around the league, and their votes count for 75 percent of the final score, with the other 25 percent coming from the SABR defensive index. That means a fantastic statistical season doesn’t always guarantee a win.
We’ve got to wait until November 1 to see how it all shakes out. Will the voters recognize Dingler’s undeniable defensive dominance, or will the “defense only” principle get tangled up in other factors? For McKinstry, can his versatile excellence overcome Duran’s higher OAA numbers and the subjectivity of the voting? It’s going to be interesting to see who takes home the hardware.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bless You Boys.
Leave a Reply