Gold Glove finalists confirm what Royals fans already knew about 3 clutch defenders

The highest praise for a major league player defensively is no doubt capturing a Gold Glove Award.

On Wednesday, Rawlings Baseball announced the finalists at each position in each respective league and the Kansas City Royals were certainly well represented.

After a pair of Royals in Bobby Witt Jr. and Seth Lugo came away with honors last season, three Royals defenders were named finalists this time around in 2025.

Witt is joined this season by the all-around breakout third baseman Maikel Garcia and the dazzling glove of center fielder Kyle Isbel.

While Royals fans certainly have a reason to celebrate today, the news of this trio’s defensive prowess being rewarded in finalist nods will surely not come as a surprise.

Royals trio being named Gold Glove finalists in 2025 is hardly a surprise

All three of these names make a immensely strong case to be named the best of the best in the American League.

After taking home 2024 honors with 2 DRS and 15 OAA, Witt only went and improved upon his numbers, in some cases vastly.

He upped his DRS total to 3 and led all major league shortstops in OAA at 24, the next closest being Masyn Winn of the St. Louis Cardinals at 21. Not only did he reign supreme amongst shortstops in this category, he led all major league defenders regardless of position.

Then there’s Garcia, who like Witt was cream of the crop at his position and seems like a surefire bet to take home his first career Gold Glove.

Garcia led all American League third baseman in both DRS at 13 and OAA at 18 and only trailed Cincinnati’s Ke’Bryan Hayes across the entire major league scene. To add another jewel to his fielding crown, he and Hayes were the only two third baseman to post double-digit OAA marks this year and he was just one of four with 10+ DRS.

Lastly, there’s Isbel who doesn’t necessarily have as clear a path to the AL center field Gold Glove as Witt and Garcia seem to have at their positions, but he makes a compelling and worthy case nonetheless.

Boston’s Ceddanne Rafaela could prove as a hard name to beat, but there’s no doubt that Isbel poses as his most fierce competition.

He ranked second to Rafaela in the American League in both DRS at 9 and OAA at 12, and with those totals he ranks among the top five of all MLB center fielders.

And for the traditionalists, no qualified name in the AL committed fewer errors in center field than Isbel in 2025.

This year’s Gold Glove winners will be announced on Nov. 2, so hopefully Royals fans will have more reasons to celebrate than just three finalists.