KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Rawlings Sporting Goods Inc. this morning announced the finalists for the 2025 Gold Glove Awards. The American League finalists include three Kansas City Royals: shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., third baseman Maikel Garcia and center fielder Kyle Isbel.
This is Witt Jr.’s second time being a finalist (he won the award in 2024). Garcia and Isbel are finalists for the first time in their careers.
The Rawlings Gold Glove Awards honor the best individual fielding performances at each position in the American League and National League. Winners are chosen by a combination of votes from Major League Managers and coaches, and the SABR Defensive Index. The winners will be announced on Sunday, Nov. 2 during an ESPN broadcast beginning at 7:30 p.m. CT.
Witt Jr., 25, made 153 starts at shortstop in 2025, 3rd most in the American League. He ranked 2nd among AL shortstops in assists (382) and fielding percentage (.983), and he was charged with just 10 errors in 578 chances, 2nd fewest among AL shortstops (min. 125 starts).
Witt Jr. led players at all positions in 2025 with 25 Outs Above Average, according to Baseball Savant, ahead of 2nd-place Pete Crow-Armstrong (24). The 25 OAA were the most by any Major League player since Jonathan Schoop had 27 as Detroit’s second baseman in 2022. Witt Jr.’s 18 Runs Prevented ranked 3rd in the Majors to Crow-Armstrong (22) and Ceddanne Rafaela (19). Baseball Savant’s Fielding Run Value ranked Witt Jr. 5th among all defenders (20) and 1st among shortstops.
Should he win the award, Witt Jr. would be the first two-time Rawlings Gold Glove winner at shortstop in Royals history, and he would be the first American League shortstop to win the award in consecutive seasons since Andrelton Simmons with the Angels from 2017-18.
Garcia, 25, ranked 3rd among American League third basemen with 130 starts, but ranked 1st in total chances (346), putouts (105) and fielding percentage (.980). He was charged with just 7 errors in his 346 chances at third base, fewest among American League players at the position (min. 125 starts). He committed only 1 error in his final 75 games at third base from June 25 through season’s end.
Garcia ranked 4th among all American League players with 17 Outs Above Average, and his 18 OAA as a third basemen led all players at the position in the American League, well ahead of 2nd-place José Ramírez (7). Baseball Savant’s Fielding Run Value metric also ranked Garcia 1st among American League third basemen (14) ahead of Ramírez (6).
Garcia is attempting to become only the second Royals third baseman to win a Rawlings Gold Glove and would join George Brett in 1985.
Isbel, 28, made all of his 118 starts in center field and was one of four American League center fielders to log at least 1,000 innings at the position (1032.0). He ranked 1st among AL center fielders in fielding percentage (.997) and 2nd in total chances (333) and putouts (329). He was charged with just 1 error in his 333 chances, fewest among AL center fielders (min. 115 starts). Isbel was credited with 2 double plays, tied for the most among AL center fielders.
Isbel recorded 12 Outs Above Average, 3rd most among AL center fielders to Rafaela (21) and Denzel Clarke (13). Among the same group, he also ranked 3rd in Runs Prevented (11) to Rafaela (19) and Clarke (12).
Isbel would be the first Royals center fielder to earn a Rawlings Gold Glove since Michael A. Taylor in 2021.
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