Major League Baseball’s best defensive players earned their hardware on Sunday night when Rawlings announced this year’s Gold Glove Award winners, leaving the Atlanta Braves with a pair of repeat victors. First baseman Matt Olson and utility player Mauricio Dubón both captured their second consecutive fielding honors, anchoring an otherwise quiet night for Atlanta as the only members of the club to take home the prestigious trophies. While the Braves celebrated two wins, they shared the National League spotlight with just three other organizations boasting multiple winners: the Milwaukee Brewers, represented by second baseman Brice Turang and left fielder Jackson Chourio; the Chicago Cubs, featuring center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and third baseman Alex Bregman; and the Arizona Diamondbacks, with right fielder Corbin Carroll, shortstop Geraldo Perdomo, and catcher Gabriel Moreno.
Olson and Dubón secured the accolades during Sunday’s announcement. While the Braves celebrated two wins, they shared the National League spotlight with just three other organizations boasting multiple winners: the Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs, and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Olson Dominates First Base Metrics
For Olson, this latest recognition marks the fourth Gold Glove of his major league career. The 32-year-old previously claimed back-to-back honors in 2018 and 2019 while playing for the A’s, followed by another win in 2025.
His defensive dominance at first base this season went far beyond the traditional eye test. Olson led all Major League Baseball first basemen in both Fielding Run Value and Outs Above Average, registering a sparkling mark of +12 in each category. During the 162-game grind, he logged 944 consecutive regular-season games played, made 1,195 putouts at first base, and committed just eight errors for a .994 fielding percentage.
Olson beat out National League finalists Ty France of the Padres and TJ Rumfield of the Rockies.
Dubón Rewrites Utility History
While Olson locked down the corners of the infield, Mauricio Dubón demonstrated a completely different kind of defensive value. Rawlings introduced the utility Gold Glove award following the 2022 season, and Dubón has quickly made the category his own. Having previously won the honor with the Astros in 2023 and 2025, he stands out as the exclusive player in baseball history to win the utility Gold Glove multiple times.
Dubón’s defensive versatility proved critical for the club as he played left field, shortstop, and center field throughout the year. His +3 Fielding Run Value at shortstop notably helped fill the void left by Ha-Seong Kim’s disappointing season. On Sunday, Dubón bested fellow finalists Jared Triolo of the Pirates and Ildemaro Vargas of the Diamondbacks.
Close Calls for Atlanta Finalists
Not every star in Atlanta walked away with hardware. Starting pitcher Chris Sale and center fielder Michael Harris II also earned finalist nods but ultimately fell short of the league’s top defensive honors. Missing out on the final trophies does little to diminish the stellar defensive campaigns both athletes put together during a competitive National League race.
The announcement highlights the reality of modern baseball metrics, where elite glovework and defensive positioning frequently dictate the momentum of a tight ballgame long before the bats come alive.
