No surprises as SF Giants are shut out of 2026 Gold Glove voting

On Wednesday, Rawlings published its 2026 Gold Glove finalists. In no surprise whatsoever, the SF Giants were shut out entirely from the process.

The voting has already taken place, so while the finalists were announced, there is no additional round of voting. The results will be revealed on November 1, 2026.

For the past couple of years, Logan Webb, Patrick Bailey, and Matt Chapman have been some of the Giants' top defensive options. Chapman and Webb missed a good portion of this season, whereas Bailey was shipped to the Cleveland Guardians in May.

Oddly enough, Chapman may have had the strongest case on the club. Despite missing half the season, he graded out as the best defensive third baseman. This includes putting up 11.3 on the SABR Defensive Index (SDI) through August 9, 2026. He was not only the best defender at the hot corner, but also among the top defenders in baseball in that metric. This is especially pertinent since the SDI accounts for about 25 percent of the Gold Glove voting, but given that he missed the second half of the year, he was likely not heavily considered.

SF Giants had solid defenders at a few positions, but no one who was truly elite

These developments left the Giants without a truly elite defensive player. However, it should not be overlooked that they had some strong defensive seasons with Daniel Susac, Luis Arráez, Jonah Cox, and Drew Gilbert.

On the other hand, Willy Adames graded out as one of the worst defenders. The Giants believe that the lingering back problem likely affected his glove. The Giants also struggled defensively in the outfield, but not on center field.

Gilbert and Cox were above-average defenders in center field, but the Giants will need better gloves in the corners. Jung Hoo Lee is under contract for three more seasons, but a shift to left field should be considered.

The Giants did not have a strong case at any position. Perhaps, Casey Schmitt might have been an exception to this. In recent years, they have handed out a Gold Glove Award to a utility player as well. Schmitt fits this category, as he appeared at five different positions in 2026.

Third base is Schmitt native position, but he has proven to be capable at a few different positions. He even learned left field on the fly this season, and should continue to see playing time there in future seasons. His season was cut short after sustaining a knee injury at the end of July, but he should have a normal offseason.

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