Red Sox's three Gold Glove wins include first by third baseman since 1959

Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald on Nov 1, 2026

Published in Baseball

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BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox cleaned up at the 2026 Rawlings Gold Glove Awards, with right fielder Wilyer Abreu, center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela and third baseman Caleb Durbin all bringing home the hardware for their defensive efforts.

Abreu, who joined Red Sox legends Fred Lynn and Carlton Fisk as the only rookie Gold Glove winners in franchise history when he won his first in 2024, has officially three-peated. He is the first Red Sox to win at least three consecutively since former star right fielder Mookie Betts earned four straight from 2016-19 (and a fifth in his first Dodgers season in 2020).

“It’s been amazing,” Abreu told ESPN during the Gold Glove announcement broadcast Sunday night. “It’s unbelievable, everything that happened to me this year. It was a really good year for me.

“I mean, we start with (winning the World Baseball Classic with Venezuela). That was amazing. That experience, too, I’m gonna remember that experience for the rest of my life. And yeah, I mean, happy and very proud of myself to win another Gold Glove. All the hard work that I’ve been putting on the field is showing up, so I’m very happy, very proud of myself.”

Toronto’s Nathan Lukes and Houston’s Cam Smith were no match for Abreu, whose 28 Defensive Runs Saved were not only at least twice as many as any other right fielder, but at least seven more than any outfielder. Abreu also led qualified right fielders with 13 outfield assists, at least three more than the competition.

Rafaela was right behind Abreu, his 21 DRS at least 15 more than any other American League center fielder, and a category-best eight assists and 16 Outs Above Average. He won his first career Gold Glove in 2025, and told the Herald during spring training last February his sights were set on the Platinum Glove, which is awarded to the best defender in each league.

“He’s amazing,” Abreu said of Rafaela. “He’s probably the best outfielder in the league. He’s on another level. He can do everything. He can throw, he can run, he can make unbelievable plays, and that makes him special in the outfield. He’s something else. He can do everything.”

The outfield duo’s dominance is nothing new; Abreu (60) and Rafaela (53) have outpaced not only the outfield competition, but all Major League defenders in DRS since the start of the 2024 season. But Durbin’s first career Gold Glove is particularly noteworthy, as he is the first Red Sox third baseman winner in over half a century. Boston’s last Gold Glove third baseman was also its first: Frank Malzone, who won three straight between 1957-59.

Durbin was the cornerstone of Boston’s vastly improved infield defense. He ranked in the 82nd MLB percentile in Fielding Run Value, with his plus-6 OAA in the 91st percentile. Durbin’s plus-13 DRS led all AL third basemen; the only National Leaguer ahead of Durbin was Red Sox predecessor Alex Bregman, who won his league’s Gold Glove moments later for his exemplary first season with the Chicago Cubs.

“It’s incredible,” Durbin said. “I think this just represents all the hard work that you put in throughout the offseason, throughout your whole entire life, and big representation of your teammates, too, and coaches, and everyone that helped you get here.”

Perhaps most impressive of all, Durbin played at this elite level while managing a chronic foot problem and left pinky issue, both of which were not surgically addressed until the offseason. Going into his first Red Sox season, Durbin spoke about wanting to follow in the footsteps of the club’s legendary Dirt Dogs, players such as Dustin Pedroia and Trot Nixon, who did whatever it took to remain on the field. Sunday put Durbin firmly in their camp.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s just kind of a no-excuses attitude,” Durbin said. “At the end of the day, you’ve got to figure it out. And everyone’s going through something. … And at the end of the day, I want to make plays for that guy on the mound. And I feel like I owe it to my teammates to battle through it and be out there for them.”

Three Gold Gloves ties the franchise’s single-season record, most recently matched by Betts, center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. and second baseman Ian Kinsler during the 2018 championship season (also in 1968, ’79 and 2011).

Abreu and Rafaela are the third pair of Red Sox teammates to win Gold Gloves in back-to-back seasons, joining Carl Yastrzemski and George Scott in 1967-68, and Dwight Evans and Fred Lynn from 1978-79.

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