Former Twins Fighting for Gold Glove Award
The Minnesota Twins didn’t have a good season finishing 70-92, but they still had some strong individual performances. Byron Buxton is going to be a legitimate MVP candidate and Joe Ryan flirted with Cy Young consideration for a while.
Last season the Twins saw Carlos Santana win his first Gold Glove award. They don’t have anyone that was certain to be in consideration this year, but there are plenty of players with ties that have made the list as finalists.
Carlos Santana and Ty France named Gold Glove finalists
Carlos Santana signed with the Cleveland Guardians this year and brought the same impressive defense to the table. Unfortunately he cratered offensively and was designated for assignment before landing with the Chicago Cubs. Ty France took over his role with the Minnesota Twins, and was ultimately sent to the Toronto Blue Jays in the Louie Varland trade.
Santana is looking to follow up his first Gold Glove award with a second one. France is hoping to land his first. Only one of them can actually take home the hardware.
The American League @RawlingsSports Gold Glove Finalists 🤩
— MLB (@MLB) October 15, 2025
Winners will be announced on Sunday, November 2nd on @ESPN pic.twitter.com/iwxWobzVt5
Both Santana and France are competing against Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to be named the Gold Glove winner at first base. Of course France is now teammates with him, and that brings a whole different slant into the equation. The numbers can help to paint a clearer picture though.
| Player | DRS | OAA | FRV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ty France | 9 (2nd) | 10 (1st) | 7 (1st) |
| Carlos Santana | 11 (1st) | 7 (2nd) | 5 (2nd) |
| Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | 8 (3rd) | -2 (4th) | -1 (4th) |
The advanced metrics make it pretty clear who was the most valuable defensively. That’s not always how the award is determined though. Brian Dozier won a Gold Glove in 2017 because he hit 34 home runs. The second base defense was below average, but offensive performance factored in heavily.
Voters have gotten better at identifying true defensive talent, and that’s reflected in both Santana and France being finalists. They posted a 77 OPS+ and 88 OPS+ respectively. Their offensive production, or lack thereof, didn’t hold back consideration.
Realistically it looks like France should win his first Gold Glove, but the margin over Santana and his second seems razor thin. Either way, a former Twins first baseman has to be considered the frontrunner.
Former Twins prospect Spencer Steer is a finalist at first base in the National League for the Reds. Winners will be announced on November 2nd.
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