THE APEX TIMES
The Cubs’ standout up-the-middle duo took home Rawlings Gold Gloves for the second time, underscoring a season where Chicago’s defense posted historic Statcast-era run metrics.
Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman both won their second career Rawlings Gold Glove Awards on Sunday, with Crow-Armstrong honored in center field and Bregman at third base.
Crow-Armstrong’s second award with the Cubs comes after he previously won a Gold Glove in 2025, and the team pointed to how his play helped establish a top-tier defensive identity throughout 2026. Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer credited that stability on defense as a backbone for the kind of roster the organization wants to build.
Across the season, the Cubs posted a +72 fielding run value and recorded +72 outs above average as a team, leading the Majors and producing Statcast-era team defensive benchmarks. Other Gold Glove finalists included Dansby Swanson at shortstop, Seiya Suzuki in right field, and Ian Happ in left field.
Crow-Armstrong’s case was backed by a combination of offensive power-speed and elite metrics. After the All-Star break, he led the Majors with 4.7 wins above replacement, and he finished the season with an MLB-leading +26 fielding run value, the highest mark in a single year for an outfielder in Statcast-era data. The release also noted he joined a small group of players with at least 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a season.
Bregman, who previously won a Gold Glove in 2024 with the Astros, finished 2026 with a +7 fielding run value at third base. The Cubs’ release said that total was tied for the best at the position, along with +15 defensive runs saved (tied for first) and +9 outs above average (second among MLB third basemen).