Minnesota Twins' Brooks Lee Earns Recognition for Defensive Excellence After Changing Positions

The Minnesota Twins have a Gold Glove finalist at third base. Brooks Lee was named one of three American League finalists for the 2026 Rawlings Gold Glove Award, alongside Caleb Durbin of the Boston Red Sox and Nick Loftin of the Kansas City Royals. This marks the first-ever nomination of his career.

The nomination is impressive because Lee did not begin the season at third base. He opened 2026 at shortstop but moved across the infield in mid-May after struggling defensively at his original position. He also took over because of Royce Lewis' offensive struggles.

The change gave him a chance to settle in at the hot corner, where his range and reactions became strengths for Minnesota. Lee went from a defensive weakness to the Twins' best defender from mid-May onward.

The numbers reflect the difference between his two positions clearly. Per Statcast's Baseball Savant, Lee recorded -6 Outs Above Average at shortstop. At third base, he finished with +6 OAA. He was a completely different player.

His transition also opened the door for the Twins to call up Kaelen Culpepper. Had Lee not made the move, Culpepper may not have gotten the chance at everyday playing time.

That is because Lee was one of the best Twins hitters all season long. He appeared in 156 games, hitting .253 with a .300 on-base percentage, .728 OPS, 24 home runs, 83 RBIs. He took a huge step forward after he had spent the first two years of his career as a liability in the batter's box.

The competition for Lee to win the award is strong. Durbin led AL third basemen with 13 Defensive Runs Saved and recorded +6 OAA. Loftin also earned finalist recognition after filling in at third base for Maikel Garcia.

Minnesota finished 77-85 and third in the AL Central, missing the playoffs. But that was not because of Lee's defense. He was the only player on the club to be nominated this year. Center fielder Byron Buxton likely would have been nominated if he did not miss so much time with a hip injury.

Gold Glove winners will be announced November 1st on an exclusive ESPN broadcast. While Lee is not guaranteed to win, the nomination highlights just how far has is come in such a short amount of time. The future is bright in Minnesota. Lee will be under team control for the next four seasons.