Cole Young, our guy at second base for the Mariners, just snagged a Gold Glove Award finalist nod, and holy smokes, what a statement. While the rest of our 2026 defense was, let’s be real, historically bad, Young absolutely floated above that sinking ship. His recognition proves there’s serious talent shining through, even in a tough year for the Emerald City’s defense.
The Unquestionable Gold Standard (Mostly)
Young’s selection isn’t just a pat on the back, it’s backed by some wild numbers. He’s clearly rated as the best defensive second baseman out there by Defensive Runs Saved, hitting a phenomenal +16 DRS. Think about that for a second: that doesn’t just put him at the top for second basemen, it makes him the eighth-best defender in the *entire sport*. That’s legit, folks. He’s up against Michael Massey from the Kansas City Royals and Chase Meidroth of the Chicago White Sox for the hardware. The award itself is decided by a combo platter of votes from managers and coaches, which account for 75% of the weight, and then a proprietary Defensive Index formula cooked up by the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) and Rawlings, which makes up the remaining 25%. Young’s candidacy comes after showing a serious leap in his footwork and arm accuracy, squeezing every bit out of his natural athleticism and decent foot speed.
The Numbers Game and What It Means
Now, here’s where it gets interesting, because not all the metrics are singing the same tune. While DRS loves Young, Statcast and Baseball Savant’s Outs Above Average (OAA) metric sees things a bit differently, pegging him at -6 OAA. And his cumulative Fielding Run Value (FRV) for overall skill lands at -5. So, what gives? It seems the SABR Defensive Index leans a lot more DRS-ward, which is good news for Young. Monthly snapshots from SABR showed him as the *only* second baseman in the AL Top-25 defenders through August 9th, putting him in a great spot for that portion of the award. Honestly, during the 2026 season, Young was the only defender it felt comfortable to hope a groundball was hit at, so this nomination just feels right.
Even with some eye-popping defensive brilliance, Young has a known “knock”: his arm strength. Baseball Savant rated it 380th out of 388 qualified players across all positions. That stat averages the top 5% of velocity throws when a player is “trying their hardest,” and Young’s tendency for slow hands turning into floating throws was definitely a factor in our infield struggling with double plays. But get this: even with that underwhelming pace, his arm *accuracy* still earned positive value from FRV for throwing! And if you want another clear indicator of his defensive prowess, Young led the American League with a .990 fielding percentage over 1350.1 innings at the keystone.
Congratulations to Young on being a finalist! It’s an incredible highlight in a season that needed some serious good news. Fingers crossed he brings that Gold Glove home for the Emerald City!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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