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Angels' fading Gold Glove trend is another indictment of their roster construction

Yet another year with no Angels Gold Glove winners!
ByEvan Roberts
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Sep 11, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Los Angeles Angels infielder Vaughn Grissom (5) bobbles a ground ball allowing the batter to be safe at first base in the second inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Grissom was credited with an error. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images
Sep 11, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Los Angeles Angels infielder Vaughn Grissom (5) bobbles a ground ball allowing the batter to be safe at first base in the second inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Grissom was credited with an error. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Major League Baseball announced the finalists for the 2026 Rawlings Gold Glove Award, and the Los Angeles Angels barely had one player among the finalists, José Soriano. The Angels finished 28th in outs above average (-42) this season, which is right around where the team always finishes in the most-reliable defensive metrics like defensive runs saved and defensive wins above replacement.

The Halos major league player development department is half-decent at bringing along hitters and pitchers, but the defensive progress of the organization's players has been non-existent. It feels like every player the Angels front office signs or trades for who could be decent defensively is not that impactful in the field and can never hit a lick anyways.

Angels' embarrassing Gold Glove drought exposes a problem they keep ignoring

The last Angels' Gold Glove winner was Griffin Canning in 2020, and the last time an Angels position player won the award was when Andrelton Simmons took home the honor in 2018. Luis Rengifo was a finalist amongst AL second basemen after 2025, Canning and Jo Adell were finalists after 2024, they had zero finalists after 2023, and Rengifo and Brandon Marsh were finalists after 2022. You see a trend there? None of those players are still with the Angels, including their sole nominee after 2026 in Soriano.

The Angels trotted out Mike Trout as a center fielder this season, who was average (at best) out there. Zach Neto does not feel like he'll stick at shortstop long-term and could need a position change sooner rather than later/ Nolan Schanuel has minimal feel for first base. The rest of the roster always seems to be a revolving door of platoon players who are not good enough to hold up defensively and not good enough at hitting to be a DH -- particularly Vaughn Grissom, Yoan Moncada and Jose Siri.

As a team, the Angels had 91 errors this season which was fifth-most in the American League. Since 2020, the Angels have committed 588 errors which is ninth-most in MLB in that span. Fresh off their first 100-loss season in franchise history, finding ways to improve the defense could be a small step forward for the team as a whole.

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