Predicting Every 2025 MLB Gold Glove Award Winner

The World Series is still ongoing, but MLB's awards season is creeping up more quickly than you might be aware.

Up first will be the Gold Glove Award winners for 2025, which will be revealed on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. ET. And since we already have the finalists at each position, let's take a whack at predicting the winners.

There are 10 categories in total, consisting of the nine positions on the field plus a bonus for utility players. The winners are determined by a 75-25 percent split between votes from MLB managers and coaches and the SABR Defensive Index, which draws on and aggregates defensive metrics.

The combination of those two things allows us to ponder two questions in predicting the Gold Glove winners: Which players have both the eye test and the numbers on their side?

Let's take it away, starting with the catchers for both leagues.

American League Finalists

Out of this trio, Kirk was arguably the best catcher in either league that any pitcher got to throw to this season. He was second in Framing Runs at +16, and miles ahead of anyone in Block Above Average at +21.

Kirk did struggle with policing the running game, however, which is where Dingler was strong and Narváez was downright elite in ranking second with +6 Stealing Runs. As he also led this trio with 10 Defensive Runs Saved and was well above average with his blocking and framing, he seems like the right pick.

Predicted Winner: Carlos Narváez

National League Finalists

Kelly and Torrens both have black marks in their defensive profiles, with the former struggling with framing (-2 Framing Runs) and the latter encountering issues with blocking (-1 Blocks Above Average).

As such, it's hard to fathom Bailey being denied his second straight Gold Glove. He had nearly twice as many Defensive Runs Saved (+19) as the next-best catcher, and was first in Framing Runs and third in Stealing Runs. He also tied for 10th in Blocking Runs, effectively making him MLB's most well-rounded defensive catcher.

Predicted Winner: Patrick Bailey

American League Finalists

Guerrero won a Gold Glove in 2022 with only +3 Defensive Runs Saved, so it could bode well for his chances this year that he more than doubled than in finishing with +8 Defensive Runs Saved.

Outs Above Average still isn't a fan of Guerrero, however, whereas France and Santana finished first (+10) and third (+9) among first basemen. As both also topped Guerrero in Defensive Runs Saved, this one feels like a toss-up that could be won on reputation. To this end, Santana was the AL winner just last year.

Predicted Winner: Carlos Santana

National League Finalists

Harper and Steer both had solid seasons in the field, but Olson is already a two-time Gold Glover who just had his best season yet on defense.

He tied for fifth among all defenders with +17 Defensive Runs Saved. Only France finished ahead in Outs Above Average. Olson made just five errors while playing over 1,400 innings—a career best.

Predicted Winner: Matt Olson

American League Finalists

Semien, who's already won a Gold Glove, and Rengifo are deserving finalists here, but this is another that figures to go to a player with a legacy of Gold Glove-winning excellence at the position.

Giménez has won three straight Gold Gloves, and this year saw him finish easily ahead of Semien and Rengifo with +9 Defensive Runs Saved and +10 Outs Above Average. The only real question is whether this will be his last season as a second baseman, as he is poised to move to shortstop in place of Bo Bichette in 2026.

Predicted Winner: Andrés Giménez

National League Finalists

Turang is a defender that Defensive Runs Saved (+7) and Outs Above Average (-2) see very differently, whereas Edwards was top-three among second basemen in both categories.

Unfortunately for him, Hoerner topped both leaderboards at +17 and +14, respectively. He also has a well-earned rep as an ace defender at second base, having already won a Gold Glove back in 2023.

Predicted Winner: Nico Hoerner

American League Finalists

Clement is also a finalist in the utility spot, and he stands a better chance of winning a Gold Glove there than for his work at third base. He only played 603 innings at the position, whereas Garcia and Ramírez both played over 1,100.

Between those two, Garcia would appear to be the favorite. He had +13 Defensive Runs Saved to Ramírez's 0, and three times as many Outs Above Average from his perch atop the AL third base leaderboard with +18.

Predicted Winner: Maikel Garcia

National League Finalists

McMahon ended up switching leagues halfway through the season, so let's just assume he won't be the winner here. As for Shaw, he's another defender the metrics don't see eye-to-eye on. He had +12 Defensive Runs Saved and -1 Outs Above Average.

Hayes' reputation precedes him, and this year saw him lead all third basemen with +19 Defensive Runs Saved and +21 Outs Above Average. He deserves to have more than one Gold Glove, so it will be a bit of justice when he wins his second.

Predicted Winner: Ke'Bryan Hayes

American League Finalists

This is a fascinating list of finalists, in part because Seager (828.0) and Walls (720.2) both logged significantly fewer innings at shortstop than Witt (1,340.0). Yet Seager and Walls also cleared +16 Defensive Runs Saved, compared to +3 for Witt.

Witt did, however, co-lead all fielders with +24 Outs Above Average. Between that and the reputation he established as a Gold Glover in 2024, the guess here is his rep, workload and OAA will result in the edge.

Predicted Winner: Bobby Witt Jr.

National League Finalists

After winning six Gold Gloves as a right fielder earlier in his career, could Betts win one as a first-time shortstop at the age of 32? He'll have to overcome substantial deficits to Allen and Winn in Outs Above Average. Betts finished at +6, compared to +17 for Allen and +21 for Winn.

Betts did easily beat both with +17 Defensive Runs Saved, however, and one wonders if he could get a narrative-based bump from the managers and coaches who voted. After all, we're talking about a respected veteran who aced a basically unprecedented test.

Predicted Winner: Mookie Betts

American League Finalists

Langford and Soderstrom both cleared +10 Defensive Runs Saved, and you have to have extra appreciation for how the latter was able to do so. The A's drafted Soderstrom as a catcher and he had no experience in left field until this year.

That said, this is Kwan's award to lose. He's won three straight Gold Gloves, and he still managed to outdo himself by leading all defenders with +22 Defensive Runs Saved this year. He also led outfielders with 13 assists.

Predicted Winner: Steven Kwan

National League Finalists

Not one of these three finished above water for Outs Above Average, so fans of the Milwaukee Brewers have every right to think Isaac Collins (+6 OAA) was robbed.

Otherwise, Happ is the default favorite among the actual finalists. He's a three-time Gold Glover who played 1,274.1 innings in left field, compared to 924.2 for Pham and only 541.2 for Stowers. Happ also easily led both with +9 Defensive Runs Saved.

Predicted Winner: Ian Happ

American League Finalists

Rodríguez started 159 games this year, and only one of those was at a position other than center field. Yet he didn't wear down and ended up with +9 Defensive Runs Saved, the exact same as Isbel.

However, neither seems likely to win over Rafaela. He was born to play center field, and he finally got to show how good he can be in full-time action out there this year. He finished with +20 Defensive Runs Saved and +21 Outs Above Average, not to mention eight assists to lead AL center fielders.

Predicted Winner: Ceddanne Rafaela

National League Finalists

It's a shame that only one of these guys can win this award. All three landed in the overall top 15 for Defensive Runs Saved, and they're three of the top four center fielders for Outs Above Average.

Crow-Armstrong is the easy pick, though. He managed to live up to the immense hype for his defense, leading these three finalists with +15 Defensive Runs Saved and all outfielders with +24 Outs Above Average.

Predicted Winner: Pete Crow-Armstrong

American League Finalists

Abreu won this award last year, but injuries limited him to just 847.1 innings in right field this year. Cam Smith cleared 1,000, while García cleared 1,100. Both of them likewise cleared +12 Defensive Runs Saved.

Yet so did Abreu at +15, and he also easily led García and Smith with +8 Outs Above Average. Between that and the sheer danger he posed (just ask Alejandro Kirk) with his arm, his rep could carry him to another Gold Glove.

Predicted Winner: Wilyer Abreu

National League Finalists

You're looking at three of the top four right fielders by Outs Above Average, and both Frelick (10) and Carroll can claim to have thrown out more runners than Tatis (5).

Tatis nonetheless got more value out of his arm, which baserunners generally avoid testing. He also easily topped NL right fielders with +15 Defensive Runs Saved, so chances are he'll add a second Gold Glove to go with the one he won in 2023.

Predicted Winner: Fernando Tatis Jr.

American League Finalists

Dubón won this award in 2023, and he made yet another strong case for himself in 2025. He played seven different positions and logged a total of +14 Defensive Runs Saved, with +20 Outs Above Average.

He has stiff competition in the form of Clement, who had a total of +22 Defensive Runs Saved and +14 Outs Above Average. Yet he did his best work at third base and second base, whereas Dubón was a plus defender in the outfield in addition to the infield.

Predicted Winner: Mauricio Dubón

National League Finalists

Out of these three, only Sanoja spent any time in the outfield, and he didn't break even with his outfield work for either Defensive Runs Saved or Outs Above Average. As such, may the best infielder win?

If we assume this is the case, Triolo would seem to have a solid shot at winning this award for the second year in a row. He totaled +9 Defensive Runs Saved and +6 Outs Above Average on the infield, beating Rojas and Sanoja in both categories.

Predicted Winner: Jared Triolo

American League Finalists

With their strikeout rates down relative to prior years, you have to respect deGrom and Severino for putting in the work and ending up on a list like this. And between them, they did account for +10 Defensive Runs Saved.

Fried got to that number all by himself, though, and he also led AL pitchers with seven pickoffs and all pitchers with 39 assists. He's likely a shoo-in for what would be his fourth Gold Glove.

Predicted Winner: Max Fried

National League Finalists

Webb is the top ground-ball pitcher in baseball, and he definitely gets in on the action as well as the Giants could ask. He was second in assists this year and started three double plays, ultimately resulting in +7 Defensive Runs Saved.

Boyd and Peterson were right there with +6 Defensive Runs Saved in their own right, and the former also picked off an MLB-leading 11 baserunners. But since the latter also made four errors, we'll tab Webb for his first Gold Glove.

Predicted Winner: Logan Webb