Braves Defense: Olson and Dubón Claim 2026 Gold Gloves

Two Atlanta Braves earned Gold Glove Awards on Sunday night.

First baseman Matt Olson and utilityman Mauricio Dubón received the Rawlings Gold Glove honors for their 2026 defensive performances.

Olson, 32, became one of only three active first basemen with four such awards. He joined Christian Walker and Paul Goldschmidt in that small group. The Braves player beat out San Diego's Ty France and Colorado's T.J. Rumfield for the first base honor. Olson led all Major League first basemen in innings played by appearing in all 162 games. He also paced the league in Outs Above Average with a score of 12 and matched that total for overall fielding run value. He finished second only to France in Defensive Runs Saved with 11.

Dubón, 32, captured his third career Gold Glove. This marks his first win in the utility category since Rawlings introduced the award in 2022. He is the only player in Major League history to win the utility award more than once. His previous two wins came with the Houston Astros in the American League. This season, Dubón demonstrated extreme positional range. He started 75 games in left field and 51 at shortstop. He also played 14 games in center field, five at third base, and four at second base.

This marks the first time since 2022 that the Braves have had two players win Gold Gloves in the same year. Pitcher Max Fried and shortstop Dansby Swanson achieved that feat in 2022. The franchise has now collected 12 Gold Gloves across seven of the last nine seasons since 2018.

Left-hander Chris Sale and center fielder Michael Harris II were finalists for the 2026 awards but did not win. Mets right-hander Nolan McLean and Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong took those respective honors. The voting process for these awards combines human judgment with data. Managers and up to six coaches on each team cast ballots that account for 75% of the vote. They cannot vote for their own players. The remaining 25% of the decision relies on the SABR Defensive Index, a formula that evaluates range, arm strength, and fielding reliability.