White Sox Second Baseman Chase Meidroth Snubbed for Gold Glove Award

Major League Baseball announced its 2026 Gold Glove Award winners on Sunday night, and Chicago White Sox fans won't be happy with the results.

White Sox second baseman Chase Meidroth, who was a finalist for the award, was snubbed in favor of Seattle Mariners second baseman Cole Young.

Meidroth was widely viewed as the favorite for the award. He seemed to have the strongest all-around resume among the American League finalists, combined with a breakout season that deserved some recognition. He also played for a playoff team, and the White Sox spent the majority of 2026 being the story of baseball.

Apparently, Gold Glove Awards are now decided by just one statistic: Defensive Runs Saved, a category in which Young finished at +16. However, Young also posted -5 Outs Above Average and a -5 Fielding Run Value.

Meidroth, on the other hand, finished with +8 Outs Above Average and a +11 Fielding Run Value, the latter of which was the highest mark among the American League finalists.

That's a 13-out difference in Outs Above Average and a 16-run difference in Fielding Run Value. Those aren't insignificant margins. Statcast's measurements suggest that Meidroth was considerably more effective at converting batted balls into outs and providing defensive value at his position.

Defensive Runs Saved is certainly a valuable metric, but it's not the only way to evaluate a player's defensive performance. In fact, the entire reason we have multiple advanced defensive statistics is because no single measurement can perfectly capture everything a player contributes with his glove.

When one metric favors Young so heavily, but two other important measurements overwhelmingly favor Meidroth, shouldn't that raise questions about the final result?

It's also worth remembering that Meidroth was doing this as an everyday second baseman on a White Sox team that reached the postseason against all expectations. His defensive consistency was a major part of Chicago's success, and he established himself as one of the most reliable young infielders in the American League that made all of his teammates better.

None of this is meant to discredit Young, who had an impressive defensive season in his own right. But Meidroth had the statistical evidence, the consistency, and the team success to make him the deserving Gold Glove Award winner.

Despite a decorated season in which he posted 4.5 fWAR, 16 home runs, and 63 RBIs while playing the best defense at his position in the American League, Meidroth ends 2026 without an All-Star selection or a Gold Glove Award.

But make no mistake about it, the White Sox know his value better than anyone else. White Sox fans recognize him as the best second baseman in the American League, and in due time, the rest of baseball will too.