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Padres’ Manny Machado misses Gold Glove finalist cut despite outclassing Max Muncy

The numbers say Machado. The ballot said Muncy.
ByDavid Lesky
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Aug 21, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (13) throws to first base for a out during the third inning against the Minnesota Twins at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images
Aug 21, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (13) throws to first base for a out during the third inning against the Minnesota Twins at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

By both the eye test and most statistical measures, Manny Machado put together another strong defensive season, but he won’t get any recognition as a Gold Glover. Finalists were announced on Wednesday, and the three names at third base for the National League are Alex Bregman, Javier Sanoja, and Max Muncy. Bregman makes sense. Sanoja does too. Muncy, well, that one’s curious.

It’s been a different kind of year for Machado, who turned 34 in July. His bat was uneven for much of the season, leading to some interesting tactics to get out of slumps. His deep fly ball in the eighth inning of Game Four of the NLDS essentially ended the Padres’ season. That was shortly after David Ortiz declared the Padres were toast and Machado brushed it off. But through it all, his glove stayed steady.

Manny Machado's Gold Glove case was stronger than Max Muncy's by a mile

Machado finished the year with 10 Outs Above Average (OAA), the best mark among qualified third basemen in baseball. He was worth +8 Fielding Run Value (FRV), which was also the best among qualified third basemen. While errors aren’t the best measure of defensive acumen, his three errors were still the best among all qualified third basemen. This came after he made 16 errors last year and his defense looked like it was starting to decline. He cleaned things up.

Compare that to Muncy, who finished at -1 OAA and 0 FRV. He was essentially average. Now, Muncy’s Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) was +2 while Machado's was -3, so there’s that. But Muncy’s game is about his bat, which was absolutely better than Machado’s this year. If only there was an award for that…

Again, the others aren’t an issue. Bregman posted 9 OAA and 7 FRV while Sanoja managed 6 OAA and 5 FRV in only 778.1 innings at third. So this isn’t about Machado winning a Gold Glove because he likely wouldn’t. Bregman was picked in September to take home the NL award, but it was also noted that Machado was tied with him for the OAA lead at the time, and Machado took over that lead in the end. 

You’d have to look at the award criteria to understand how Muncy, with his numbers, was one of the top three vote-getters for the Gold Glove. The formula is 75 percent voting and 25 percent statistics. The 75 percent is easy to understand. It comes from managers and up to six coaches per team. They can only vote for players in their own league, and they cannot vote for their own guys. The statistical part comes from the SABR Defensive Index (SDI), which blends six different defensive data sources into one number meant to measure runs saved against an average fielder.

That’s where this gets a little murky. The most recent SDI public update came on August 9. In it, Muncy was second among NL third basemen at 4.8, with Bregman close behind at 4.5. Sanoja was fifth at 2.6. Machado was 11th out of 14 at -1.6. Statcast painted a strong defensive picture for Machado, but the other inputs didn’t. The part of the process designed to keep the voting honest seemed to drag him down in the end. 

The voting part is interesting too. Coaches and managers have voted on reputation for as long as anyone can remember. Rafael Palmeiro once won a Gold Glove at first base after playing just 28 games there. Machado hasn’t exactly been the most beloved opposing player. That doesn’t mean it cost him in the voting, but it would make a lot of sense. It wouldn’t be the first time Machado has had a quality defensive season that deserved recognition but didn’t get it.

Machado has two Gold Gloves, both with the Baltimore Orioles, and the most recent came in 2015. He’s now spent eight years in San Diego without a third, and it won't be until year nine for him to do it again. 

We’ll learn the winners on November 1, and it’ll probably be Bregman. It’ll be well-deserved. But the finalist list (really just the top three vote-getters) is supposed to represent the three best, and it missed one for sure while putting in someone who likely didn’t deserve it.

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