Royals Defense Earns Rare Gold Glove Nod Across the Entire Infield

The Kansas City Royals lost 93 games this year and finished last in the American League Central, but the managers and coaches who vote on the Gold Glove Awards still thought a lot of the Royals infield.

Rawlings named its 2026 finalists, and Kansas City got one at every infield spot, with Vinnie Pasquantino at first base, Michael Massey at second base, Nick Loftin at third base and Bobby Witt Jr. at shortstop.

The winners will be announced during an ESPN broadcast on Sunday, Nov. 1, and coaches can't vote for players on their own team.

Witt is the favorite here, and it isn't close, because he won the award in 2024 and again in 2025, when he also picked up the Platinum Glove as the best overall defender in the American League.

Last fall he became the first shortstop in club history to win more than one Gold Glove, and by early September he had already piled up 23 Outs Above Average, which matched his total from all of 2025 and tied Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Cubs for the most in baseball.

Taylor Walls of the Rays and Andrés Giménez of the Blue Jays are the other two finalists at shortstop.

Loftin is the name that jumps off the list, because he opened the year as a utility player and the Royals never planned on him being the everyday third baseman.

Maikel Garcia won the Gold Glove at third last season, but he was hurt for long stretches in 2026, so Loftin moved over and took the job.

Through early September, he led all American League third basemen in both Outs Above Average and Fielding Run Value, and he'll now go up against Caleb Durbin of the Red Sox and Brooks Lee of the Twins.

Massey also started the season on the injured list, but by the end of July he ranked in the top six among second basemen in Defensive Runs Saved, Fielding Run Value and Outs Above Average.

Chase Meidroth of the White Sox and Cole Young of the Mariners are also finalists, so he may have the hardest path of the four, since Young led all American League second basemen in fielding percentage this year.

Pasquantino and Massey were drafted by Kansas City in the same 2019 class, and Pasquantino has spent years pushing back on people who think he should just be a designated hitter.

José Alguacil, who was coaching the Royals infield at the time, explained in April 2024 why a good first baseman helps everyone else on the field.

"Your infield is going to be as good as your first baseman," Alguacil told MLB.com.

Pasquantino will have to beat Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Blue Jays and Christian Walker of the Astros to win his first Gold Glove.

The news lands while the club is busy planning its next steps, with owner John Sherman opening up about the team's future in Kansas City and general manager J.J. Picollo laying out his offseason plans.

No Royals outfielder made the list, though, which fits with the team's need to look at outfield targets in the offseason.