<\/p>\n
The Kansas City Royals have a strong history of Gold Glove winners, and the 2025 roster features several leading candidates at their positions. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Third baseman Maikel Garcia and shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. form one of the league\u2019s best infield tandems when it comes to defensive prowess<\/a>, and they should, at the very least, be finalists for their respective positions in the American League. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Some individual postseason hardware can help soothe the sting of an October-less season for the Royals. But there is another name Royals fans should expect to see in the Gold Glove conversation\u2014even if he doesn’t ultimately win the coveted award.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Outfielder Kyle Isbel has been the glue guy in Kansas City\u2019s outfield for the better part of four seasons, serving as the team\u2019s primary center fielder. While his below-average production at the plate draws the ire of many Royals fans, there is no denying his value as an elite defender<\/a> in one of baseball\u2019s most expansive outfields. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n He has consistently been an above-average player, including three consecutive seasons (2023\u20132025) with at least 1.5 bWAR<\/a>. Entering his final year of team control, it will be interesting to see what a Royals roster looks like without Isbel\u2014 or whether he finds a way to remain in Kansas City.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Any questions about what Isbel brings to the team end with his defensive value, and that alone should place him back into the Gold Glove conversation. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Several factors influence the selection of Gold Glove winners, but the most notable metric is the SABR Defensive Index (SDI). This statistic has contributed to selecting Gold and Platinum Glove winners since 2013 and \u201caccounts for approximately 25 percent of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award selection process.\u201d<\/a> It differs from the Fielding Bible\u2019s Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) or MLB\u2019s Outs Above Average (OAA), and it is not updated in real time.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the most recent SDI standings update, Witt and Garcia both rank among the league\u2019s best at their respective positions but it is Isbel who ranks highest at his position, sitting in third place by a wide margin.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Isbel trails only Seattle\u2019s Julio Rodr\u00edguez and Boston\u2019s Ceddanne Rafaela, with a 6.7 SDI for the season. For reference, that mark is the 12th-best in the American League overall and the highest of any Royals player this season. Rafaela held a comfortable lead in the August 10 update<\/a>, but Isbel\u2019s continued presence among the AL\u2019s elite is commendable.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This statistic is not the definitive measure of defensive value, but if the Gold Glove were awarded based solely on fielding metrics, Isbel should absolutely be a finalist. There have been notable examples in recent years of players being snubbed or recognized based more on offensive performance or team narrative than defense. Yet Isbel excels in the areas he can control.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nKyle Isbel’s Gold Glove case may be the Royals’ strongest this season.<\/h2>\n