Braves Earn Four Gold Glove Finalist Nods, Sale Among Candidates
Sale, Olson, Harris and Dubon all named finalists; winners announced Nov. 1
The Atlanta Braves have four players on the ballot for the 2026 Rawlings Gold Glove Award, Major League Baseball announced Wednesday, matching the Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals for the third-highest total in baseball.
The four finalists are ace Chris Sale at pitcher, Matt Olson at first base, Michael Harris II in center field and Mauricio Dubon at utility. Chicago and Toronto lead the majors with five finalists each.
Atlanta posted a congratulatory graphic on its official X account highlighting each player and his position, an acknowledgment of a defensive unit that carried the club through a season that ended earlier than hoped in the National League Division Series against Los Angeles.
Sale, a 2024 Gold Glove winner, finished 2026 without committing an error and accumulated three defensive runs saved. His fellow pitcher finalists are Michael McGreevy of the St. Louis Cardinals and Nolan McLean of the New York Mets. Olson seeks his fourth career Gold Glove after leading all MLB first basemen in fielding run value at +12, facing Ty France of the San Diego Padres and TJ Rumfield of the Colorado Rockies.
Harris recorded career highs of +14 outs above average and +12 fielding run value. The Braves center fielder must overcome Chicago Cubs star and National League MVP favorite Pete Crow-Armstrong and Andy Pages of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Dubon previously won American League utility Gold Gloves with the Houston Astros in 2023 and 2025. Jared Triolo of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Ildemaro Vargas of the Diamondbacks complete that ballot.
The award, baseball’s longest-running defensive honor, is decided through a weighted formula. For standard positions, 75 percent of the vote comes from managers and coaches, with the SABR Defensive Index supplying the remaining 25 percent. The utility category uses a separate calculation.
That split means voter preference among club personnel can sway the outcome as much as advanced metrics, and it explains why finalists often include players whose regular-season defensive value is close enough that coach evaluation becomes decisive. A unanimous or near-unanimous finalist field does not guarantee a win.
Atlanta’s four nominations put the club in company with three other organizations, a strong showing for a franchise that has balanced its recent identity around pitching and speed. The winners will be revealed Nov. 1 on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight, leaving all four Braves players awaiting the final decision.
