Crow-Armstrong, Bellinger win first Platinum Gloves as Cubs and Blue Jays take team honors

Rawlings’ 2026 Platinum Glove Awards split the final defensive spotlight between two individual standouts and two clubs built around the same trait. Pete Crow-Armstrong won the National League award, Cody Bellinger took the American League honor, and the Cubs and Blue Jays were named the top defensive teams in their leagues.

The award matters because it is not limited to one position. The Platinum Glove goes to the best defensive player in each league regardless of spot on the field, so the selection compares outfielders, infielders and catchers on the same ballot. In that setting, both Crow-Armstrong and Bellinger were first-time winners.

Crow-Armstrong’s case was anchored by range and volume. The Cubs center fielder led the majors with 26 Outs Above Average, and it was his second straight season leading or tying for the league lead in that category. He also finished with 16 Defensive Runs Saved, tied for seventh among all players. Those numbers do not tell the entire story of a defender, but they do show why he drew the top vote in a crowded field.

Bellinger’s 2026 season carried a different but equally clear profile. The Yankees outfielder won his second career Gold Glove this year and his first since his MVP-winning 2019 season with the Dodgers. He also posted 21 Defensive Runs Saved, tied for third in the majors. That combination gave him enough support to claim the American League Platinum Glove for the first time.

The team awards fit the same pattern of repeated excellence. The Cubs won the National League team-defense honor for the second straight season and for the third time since Rawlings expanded the recognition to the team level in 2020. Chicago finished the year with plus-72 Outs Above Average and plus-115 Defensive Runs Saved, both best in the majors. Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman were among the Cubs players to win Gold Gloves in 2026, reinforcing why the club earned the team award again.

Toronto’s path to the American League team honor was more modest in the standings and just as strong in the award context. The Blue Jays won the team-defense award for the third time since the category was introduced, matching the Cubs for the most wins. Toronto had previously taken the honor in 2023 and 2024. The club finished third in the AL with 51 Defensive Runs Saved and fifth with plus-14 Outs Above Average, enough to separate it from the rest of the league when Rawlings made its decision.

The announcement also clarified how the individual and team honors can overlap without being identical. Crow-Armstrong was a central part of the Cubs’ defensive profile, but his Platinum Glove came from his individual season, not simply from team success. Bellinger’s award followed the same logic in the American League. The team trophies went to the clubs with the strongest defensive body of work; the Platinum Gloves went to the players judged best in each league.

For the Cubs, the result extended a run of defensive recognition that now includes both a repeat team honor and another top individual award. For the Blue Jays, it added another team-defense title to a recent pattern of success. The season’s final Rawlings awards ended with a familiar message from the numbers: elite defense can be recognized both by the player making the play and by the team built around it.