It’s been a hot minute since we worked on our MLB Monday miniseries on Gold Gloves. We’ve come to the end of it, though, for now, as we have reached the current decade in progress. The players below never have won a defensive honor, although they certainly played well enough to do so over the last five seasons (2020-2024). We won’t have a chance to update this miniseries for more than four years from now. That is … weird.

Trevor Story, SS: The Covid season was wonky, but he still finished in the MLB Top 10 overall for dWAR (0.9 in a 60-game season). However, the No. 2 overall glove man also was a National League shortstop, so there’s that. For his career, he has compiled 13.5 dWAR without winning a Gold Glove—including 2016-2019, when he totaled 8.2 dWAR. That’s pretty stellar defense at his position to never get recognized, so we feel for him.

Kiké Hernández, UTL: In a 12-season career now, he has played every position (literally). He also posted 0.9 dWAR at second base in 2020 to finish in the MLB Top 10 overall, and then he followed that up with a 2.1-dWAR effort the next year (playing center and second, mostly). His career 8.6 dWAR shows he’s been an asset wherever he’s played on the diamond. He’s been a fan favorite in Los Angeles, accordingly. ¡Enrique!

Willson Contreras, C: He’s had three seasons of at least 1.3 dWAR in his career, which spans back to the 2016 world champions. His career high came in 2021 when he compiled 1.9 dWAR. His current season is his first in the negative dWAR range, too, so he’s been decent at the very least behind the plate, his primary position. However, he has moved to first base this year, which can account for the above decline in metrics.

Ryan McMahon, 3B: In 2021, he topped the NL with 2.7 dWAR and did not win a Gold Glove. Inexplicable. His light bat could have had something to do with it, since his predecessor in Colorado had both bat and glove. Still, how does a voter ignore that mark above? He probably finished close to 1.0 dWAR ahead of the next-best corner guy in the senior circuit. It’s sad that data doesn’t drive these decisions—ignore the feels!

Jorge Mateo, SS: With 2.5 dWAR in 2022, this guy was robbed of a GG vote win. Oddly, he came through at the plate that year, too, with a career-best 2.1 oWAR mark. He didn’t even make the All-Star team. Interestingly enough, it’s the only season in his MLB tenure that he’s played a single position only for the entire year. In all his other seasons, he has just 0.7 dWAR combined while playing a multitude of positions.

Taylor Walls, IF: Playing three different positions (short, second, third), he topped the AL with 2.8 dWAR in 2022 without winning a Gold Glove. We understand the position flexibility may have cost him, but that’s just a stupid reason not to give someone a piece of defensive hardware. With 9.6 career dWAR at this point, in just five seasons, the dude needs to win a GG vote sometime, right? Well, we just never know these days.

Wander Franco, SS: Never mind his present-day status. In 2023 at age 22, he posted 2.2 dWAR and a career-high 3.8 oWAR as well. He also was an All Star, but he did not win the Gold Glove despite finishing ninth overall in MLB for defensive value—mostly because his position in the junior circuit was stacked, and perhaps it also was because he was young. Voters sometimes make a kid pay his dues first, but now? Yeah.

Ernie Clement, IF: After putting up a 2.1 dWAR in 2024 at both short and third, he has posted 2.5 dWAR this season, currently, at all four infield positions. He did not win the Gold Glove last year, but he has a good shot at one this season, we hope: he is third in MLB right now for dWAR. At age 29 in 2025, he’s also posting his best oWAR so far, too. He is trending up, with so much of his career dWAR (5.1) in the last two years.

Zach Neto, SS: He can hit (7.7 oWAR the last two seasons combined), and he can field (4.2 dWAR in the same time frame). He was ninth last year overall among MLB fielders with 2.1 dWAR, and he is ninth right now this year, too, with the same 2.1 dWAR mark, currently. Not bad for an age-24 guy in just his third MLB season. We suspect if he doesn’t win a GG vote, it will be because his team is so bad. Perhaps in time, he can.

Freddy Fermin, C: With 2.2 dWAR in 2024 and 1.9 dWAR in 2025, he’s established himself as a good defensive backstop. His 2024 figure was good enough for seventh overall in the majors; yet his 1.3 oWAR, albeit a career high, probably held him back at a position where offense is expected. His offense is way down this, so we wouldn’t expect to see him win. Also, he switched leagues midseason as well, which complicates.

Masyn Winn, SS: With 2.4 dWAR in 2024, he finished fifth overall in MLB for defensive value, in his second major-league campaign. His 3.5 oWAR was tremendously impressive, as well, but he did not even earn an All-Star nod. That was his age-22 season! He has come back down to the ground a bit this season, so he won’t be collecting any Gold Glove honors in 2025, but perhaps the future has one in store for him soon.

Jarren Duran, OF: This one takes the cake, as he posted 8.7 WAR overall, made the All-Star team, and garnered MVP votes. Yet despite 2.5 dWAR in centerfield, primarily, he did not win the Gold Glove. That defensive value placed him fourth overall in MLB. So, why not voting love for his defense? It could have been due to his team’s .500 finish, only good enough for third place in the AL East. But come on … really?