The Gold Glove finalists were announced earlier this week, as voted on by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball. The San Diego Padres have been an elite defensive team for this whole year, with plenty of obvious candidates for the award. However, with such a large crop of defensive gems, only Freddy Fermin and Ty France were Padres' Gold Glove finalists. Here is a look at each of their cases to win the award, as well as one player who was snubbed from the finalists group entirely.
Fermin was a somewhat surprising nod for the catcher position. That being said, Fermin had been kept on the roster solely for his defense . Fermin's top-tier work behind the dish earned him the finalist spot. However, it's unlikely that Fermin beats out either of the other finalists. Rookie Joe Mack has put up an incredible season with the Miami Marlins, and Luis Torrens proved his value on an underwhelming New York Mets club.
Of the trio, Fermin ranks last in Fielding Run Value (FRV) with +9, and Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) with +8. However, Fermin does lead the group in many catcher statistics. Ranking first in Blocks Above Average (+10) and second in Caught Stealing Above Average (+6). He doesn't have much of a case to take home the award, but Fermin is certainly deserving of the nod.
Sep 14, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; San Diego Padres catcher Freddy Fermin (54) looks to the dugout as he walks to the mound in the fourth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Not only did France have a career year at the plate for San Diego, but he turned in another incredible year at the cold corner. His defense at first base was some of the best in baseball, hence the finalist nod by the voters. France won the American League Gold Glove in 2025, splitting time between the Minnesota Twins and Toronto Blue Jays. He spent the whole of 2026 with the Padres and turned in one of the best seasons of his journeyman career.
Oct 6, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres first baseman Ty France (25) celebrates a game ending /dp during the ninth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers in game three of the NLDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images
On the statistic leaderboards, France ranks second in receiving OAA (+5) and FRV (+10). In total, France accumulated +7 OAA, five points behind the Atlanta Braves' Matt Olson . Olson is the frontrunner for the award, leading in FRV and OAA. However, France led all first basemen with +15 DRS compared to Olson's +11 mark. It's unlikely that France beats out Olson with his overall case, but it's possible the voters determined otherwise.
This one is hard to stomach. Manny Machado was, for whatever reason, unnamed as a finalist for the National League third base category. Instead, Alex Bregman , Max Muncy and Javier Sanoja were named ahead of the Padres' captain. Bregman still might have beaten out Machado for the award, leading the group in DRS and dWAR. However, Muncy and Sanoja have zero case to beat out Machado as a finalist.
Sep 29, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (13) makes a catch against Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch (not pictured) during the fourth inning of game one of the Wildcard round for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Machado ranks first in FRV (+7) and OAA (+12) among all third basemen. Sanoja has a much better case than Muncy for the finalist nod. The Marlins' infielder is tied for fourth in OAA (+6) and fifth in FRV (+5). Muncy, however, is 28th in OAA (-2) and 38th in FRV (0). Despite the fact that Machado's -0.1 dWAR and -3 DRS hurt his case, it seems odd for the voters to snub him.
It's worth wondering whether the snub is due to Machado being somewhat disliked across the league. The Padres' captain made a lot of enemies during his tenure with the Baltimore Orioles. That image has followed him for a long time. It's possible that history has continued to influence the coaches and managers who voted on the Gold Glove award. Still, it stings just a little bit more for Padres fans with Machado being ousted from the award by Muncy, a member of the rival Los Angeles Dodgers.
Main Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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