Bibee Wins Gold Glove, Kwan Streak Ends
Cleveland right-hander Tanner Bibee earned his first Rawlings Gold Glove Award, while Steven Kwan lost his American League center field award to Ceddanne Rafaela.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Baseball
Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee won the American League Rawlings Gold Glove Award for pitchers, beating out finalists Jacob deGrom and José Soriano. Steven Kwan lost the AL center field Gold Glove to Ceddanne Rafaela, ending Kwan's four-season winning streak.
Why it matters
Bibee is the first Cleveland pitcher to win the award since Shane Bieber in 2022, recognizing defensive work that was cited as impossible to overlook. The result marks a shift in the Guardians' recent run of defensive honors.
Bibee finished 2026 with five defensive runs saved and tied for second in the majors with nine net bases prevented, a Statcast measure of control over the running game. Rafaela posted 21 defensive runs saved and 2.5 defensive wins above replacement, compared with 17 combined defensive runs saved for Kwan across left and center field.
The players
Tanner Bibee
Bibee is a Guardians right-hander who lost 15 games in 2026 despite his defensive excellence on the mound.
Steven Kwan
Kwan is a Guardians outfielder who had won the AL left field Gold Glove four straight years before losing the center field award this season.
Ceddanne Rafaela
Rafaela is a Boston outfielder who won the American League center field Gold Glove after posting 21 defensive runs saved.
The details
Bibee was selected by voting for the American League's top defensive pitcher, and he also won his second career Fielding Bible Award in October. Kwan had won the AL left field Gold Glove each season from 2022 through 2025 before losing the center field honor this year.
Timeline
Bibee was nominated for a Gold Glove in 2024 but did not win.
Kwan won the AL left field Gold Glove each season from 2022 through 2025.
In October 2026, Bibee won his second Fielding Bible Award.
Gold Glove winners were announced Sunday night, November 1, 2026.
Season Trajectory
Bibee's award follows Shane Bieber's 2022 American League Gold Glove as the most recent Cleveland pitcher honor, extending the franchise's run of recognized pitching defense. Kwan's loss of the center field award ends his four-season run and shifts the Guardians' outfield recognition in a single offseason.
Bibee's Gold Glove recognition matters for fantasy and roster evaluations, since defensive pitching value is measured separately from strikeout and run-prevention totals. For Guardians followers, the result highlights where Cleveland's defensive value sits heading into the next season.
The takeaway
Defensive contributions from pitchers and outfielders can be measured through Statcast metrics like net bases prevented and defensive runs saved, which give a clearer picture than traditional stats alone. Readers tracking award races can use these numbers to compare players beyond highlight plays.
Further reading
Explore more Cleveland Baseball coverage for the Guardians' latest roster and award developments.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Cleveland.
