A last-place season isn’t going to bring many rewards. Heartaches, yes, but not rewards.
The Rawlings Gold Glove finalists were announced yesterday and the Orioles suffered another shutout.
Third baseman Ramón Urías was the last Orioles winner in 2022, which ended a six-year drought. Eighteen different players have earned a total of 72 awards since its creation in 1957.
First baseman Ryan Mountcastle and left fielder Colton Cowser were American League finalists last year. Mountcastle was a repeat finalist but went 0-for-2.
Catcher Adley Rutschman and left fielder Austin Hays were finalists in 2023. Center fielder Cedric Mullins was a finalist in 2022 and right fielder Anthony Santander in 2020.
The Orioles’ last season with multiple winners was 2014 with shortstop J.J. Hardy, center fielder Adam Jones and right fielder Nick Markakis.
The 2025 team was riddled with injuries, reducing the odds of having a representative, but shortstop Gunnar Henderson emerged as a solid candidate with only one error committed in his last 93 games and eight overall for a .986 fielding percentage in 585 chances, compared to his 25 errors and .961 percentage the previous season.
His exclusion is disappointing.
The Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr., the Rangers’ Corey Seager and the Rays’ Taylor Walls are the AL shortstop finalists. Witt committed 10 errors and registered a .983 fielding percentage in 578 chances. Seager committed four errors in 340 chances and had a .988 percentage. Walls committed five errors in 364 chances and had a .986 percentage.
The Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the Twins’/Blue Jays’ Ty France and the Guardians’ Carlos Santana are finalists at first base to end Mountcastle’s streak. Mountcastle didn’t commit an error but appeared in only 56 games due to injury and the club’s desire to give Coby Mayo the majority of starts.
Cowser missed about two months with a fractured left thumb and moved to center field after the Orioles traded Mullins at the deadline. Tyler O’Neill won two Gold Gloves with the Cardinals but went on the injured list three times this summer and played in only 36 games in right field.
Here are the AL finalists:
Pitchers
Luis Severino (Athletics)
Jacob deGrom (Rangers)
Max Fried (Yankees)
Catchers
Alejandro Kirk (Blue Jays)
Carlos Narváez (Red Sox)
Dillon Dingler (Tigers)
First basemen
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Blue Jays)
Ty France (Twins, Blue Jays)
Carlos Santana (Guardians)
Second basemen
Luis Rengifo (Angels)
Marcus Semien (Rangers)
Andrés Giménez (Blue Jays)
Third basemen
Ernie Clement (Blue Jays)
José Ramírez (Rangers)
Maikel Garcia (Royals)
Shortstops
Bobby Witt Jr. (Royals)
Corey Seager (Rangers)
Taylor Walls (Rays)
Left fielders
Steven Kwan (Guardians)
Wyatt Langford (Rangers)
Tyler Soderstrom (Athletics)
Center fielders
Kyle Isbel (Royals)
Ceddanne Rafaela (Red Sox)
Julio Rodríguez (Mariners)
Right fielders
Adolis García (Rangers)
Cam Smith (Astros)
Wilyer Abreu (Red Sox)
Utility
Ernie Clement (Blue Jays)
Mauricio Dubón (Astros)
Daniel Schneemann (Guardians)
Former Oriole Kyle Stowers is a National League finalist in left field with the Marlins.
The winners will be announced Nov. 2 on ESPN.
None of the four major awards, voted on by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, will fall into Orioles hands.
Trevor Rogers could get down-ballot votes for AL Cy Young after posting a 1.81 ERA and 0.903 WHIP in 18 starts. The only issue might be the smaller body of work compared to other candidates.
Tarik Skubal (31 starts), Garrett Crochet (32), Hunter Brown (31) and Max Fried (32) are likely to finish among the top four selections on the five-man ballot – and I’d guess in that order. Bryan Woo (30) could bump Rogers. Voters who are more inclined to choose a reliever could go with Aroldis Chapman.
No Oriole has won the Cy Young since Steve Stone in 1980.
Rogers might have to settle for AL Comeback Player of the Year, which is the responsibility of MLB.com voters.
Henderson finished eighth in Most Valuable Player voting as a rookie in 2023 and fourth last year, but the Orioles aren’t expected to have a player on the 10-man ballot. None of their rookies will get any support, and it’s doubtful that Tony Mansolino in his interim role will receive votes for Manager of the Year.
The Orioles had 10 players make their major league debuts: Samuel Basallo, Dylan Beavers, Maverick Handley, Yaramil Hiraldo, Jeremiah Jackson, Carson Ragsdale, Kade Strowd, Tomoyuki Sugano, Grant Wolfram and Brandon Young.
Cal Ripken Jr. is the last Orioles MVP in 1991 and Henderson is the last Rookie of the Year in 2023. Brandon Hyde was named Manager of the Year in ‘23.
Santander won a Silver Slugger Award last year after hitting 44 home runs, but the Orioles don’t have any candidates in 2025. Félix Bautista was named Reliever of the Year in 2023. No one in the bullpen qualifies this season.
* The Orioles are interested in interviewing Albert Pujols for the managerial opening, according to ESPN.
The Angels remain the favorites to hire Pujols, but he played for the Cardinals when Mike Elias was a scout, and he remains close to former teammate Matt Holliday.