5 active MLB stars with 5+ Gold Glove Awards ft. Matt Chapman
Major League Baseball in collaboration with sports equipment company Rawlings has released the winners of the 2024 Gold Glove Awards. The honor is given to the players who have made the most impact in the defensive side throughout the season.
The league started giving out the pretigious awards for defense in 1957. Since then, many familiar names and Hall of Famers have garnered the awards. Hall of Famer Greg Maddux leads all players with 18 Gold Gloves as a pitcher.
In terms of infielders, meanwhile, Baltimore Orioles great Brooks Robinson garnered 16 gloves. Finally, baseball legends Roberto Clemente and Willie Mays lead all outfielders with 12 awards each.
At the moment, there are only five active players in the league that has won five glove awards, including the latest member of the club, third baseman Matt Chapman. Let's now take a look at the five men who have the distinction of having five Gold Gloves to their name.
Five current players with 5+ Gold Glove Awards
#5 Matt Chapman, 3B, San Francisco Giants
Leading off the list is the newest member of the five-Gold Glove crew, Matt Chapman. The third baseman won the distinction in his first year as a San Francisco Giant.
The 31-year-old also won the award during his time with the Oakland Athletics in 2018, 2019, and 2021 and with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2023. Chapman also owns two Platinum Gloves which is equivalent to being the best defensive player of the year as it's chosen from the Gold Glove winners, three Fielding Biblesm and a Defensive Player of the Year Award.
#4 Jason Heyward, OF, free agent
At the time of writing, Jason Heyward is not signed to any team but has last played for the Houston Astros. One of the leaders of the 2016 World Series-winning Chicago Cubs, Heyward won his first award in 2012 with the Atlanta Braves.
He would then cement his name as a premier talent while winning four-straight glove awards from 2014 to 2017 during his time shared with the Braves, Cardinals, and Cubs.
#3 Salvador Perez, C, Kansas City Royals
Better known today for his slugging capabilities, Kansas City Royals captain Salvador Perez is the first American League backstop since Hall of Famer Ivan Rodriguez to win at least five Gold Gloves.
One of the few remaining one-club men in the MLB, Perez won the awards from 2013 to 2016 and 2018.
#2 Mookie Betts, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers star and three-time World Series champion Mookie Betts has six gloves in his collection. Betts won the award four times with the Boston Red Sox in 2016 to 2020 and twice with the Dodgers in 2020 and 2022.
Betts also owns six Fielding Bible Awards and two Wilson Defensive Player of the Year honors.
#1 Nolan Arenado, 3B, St. Louis Cardinals
No other player exemplifies defense in the modern-era of baseball than St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado. The 33-year-old has 10 Gold Glove awards which he won in consecutive years. Arenado won eight with his time with the Rockies and two with the Cardinals.
Additionally, the third baseman has also been selected as the Platinum Glove Awardee six times and honored with the Fielding Bible Award five times.