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MN Twins Infielder a Finalist for 2026 Gold Glove
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- MN Twins Infielder a Finalist for 2026 Gold Glove
Peter Aiken-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
Last season, the Minnesota Twins have brought home Gold Gloves in each of the past two MLB seasons, both at first base. Ty France won it last season, which counts. Despite being traded (along with Louie Varland) to the Toronto Blue Jays midseason, both teams claim the award. In 2024, Carlos Santana won the same award for the Twins.
This season , Minnesota's defense was largely below league average. Early on, it was downright bad. However, after a few in-season changes, it was still far from perfect, but it looked better.
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Brooks Lee: 2026 Gold Glove Finalist (3rd Base)
Kody Clemens became a regular at second base, and Royce Lewis morphed into a first baseman . Meanwhile, Opening Day shortstop Brooks Lee found a new home at the hot corner , where he thrived. So much so that he's now a Gold Glove finalist at the position.
The 2026 Rawlings Gold Glove Award Finalists – AL Third Base – Caleb Durbin, Brooks Lee, Nick Loftin#RawlingsGoldGloveAwards https://t.co/KUyY7zLVmC
— Rawlings Baseball (@RawlingsSports) October 14, 2026
In the Twins' first game of the season , Lee batted ninth and played shortstop. After 45 games , he moved to third base where he stayed for good, outside of a few spot starts back at SS. Clearly, that was a good move.
In 400 innings at shortstop in 2026 , Lee posted -9 DRS (defensive runs saved), -6 OAA (outs above average) and -5 FRV (fielding run value). At third base, he flipped those numbers to 8 DRS, 6 OAA and 5 FRV in nearly 940 innings.
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That's quite the reversal, defensively. While he's unlikely to beat out Boston's Caleb Durbin ( 13 DRS, 7 OAA, 6 FRV ), just being a finalist says a lot about where Lee is headed at the position.
Why Brooks Lee is perfect for third base
Lee isn't fast ( 26.3 ft/sec sprint speed ), and he doesn't have the strongest arm. That made playing competent shortstop difficult at the big league level. On the contrary, he's a perfect fit for the hot corner.
The Cal-Poly product has great instincts and quick reactions, which at third base, are way more important than speed and raw athleticism. He's also exceptional at charging the ball and making throws downhill on the run, also crucial.
Nice little double play started by Brooks Lee. https://t.co/vXpKMUBUPC
— Ted (@tlschwerz) August 25, 2026
Related: MN Twins Beat Writer Shoots Down Team Sale Rumors
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The MN Twins would like to see Lee hit a bit better than the .253 average and .728 OPS he posted this season, but finding a defensive home is huge for his future and he did get better at the plate as the season wore on.
If Brooks can keep his pop (24 HR) while reining in the strikeouts (102/37 K/BB), his profile takes an even bigger leap forward.
Ty France, who signed with the San Diego Padres last offseason, is a finalist for a Gold Glove again , too. He's the favorite to win it at first base in the National League.
