Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong won his second consecutive National League Gold Glove as Major League Baseball announced the 2026 Rawlings Gold Glove recipients on Sunday night. The award followed a season in which he led baseball in Statcast's Fielding Runs Value, adding another defensive honor to the one he earned in 2025.
Crow-Armstrong finished with a Fielding Runs Value of +26, ahead of JJ Wetherholt at +23. Bobby Witt Jr. and Masyn Winn each recorded +17, while several players shared the next spot at +16. The metric combines multiple aspects of defense, including range and throwing ability. For catchers, it also incorporates blocking and framing, bringing those responsibilities into the overall assessment.
His performance also ranked among the strongest recorded since Fielding Runs Value was introduced in 2016. The +26 total stands fifth among all individual seasons measured by the statistic and second among players other than catchers. Nick Ahmed is the only non-catcher with a higher single-season mark, having registered +28 while playing shortstop in 2018.
The Gold Glove adds to the recognition surrounding Crow-Armstrong's 2026 campaign. CBS Sports described him as the season's leading defender on both statistical and observational grounds and reported that he is expected to be named National League MVP. That expectation is separate from the defensive award announced Sunday, which confirmed his repeat selection in center field.
Gold Glove selections combine votes from managers and coaches with a statistical component. Voting accounts for 75 percent of the result, and statistics make up the remaining 25 percent. Team employees are barred from voting for players on their own clubs. The awards recognize a defensive winner at each position in each league.
Although MLB released lists of finalists several weeks before announcing the winners, the voting had already concluded. Those lists identified the three players receiving the most votes at each position, rather than candidates awaiting another round of selection. Postseason performances therefore did not affect the outcome of the awards.
The honors began in 1957 with one winner at each position across MLB. Separate American League and National League awards followed in 1958. The outfield format has also changed: where each league once recognized three outfielders without distinguishing their positions, the current awards separately honor left fielders, center fielders and right fielders.
