Cam Smith's Gold Glove Case Rests on Range: 7 Outs Above Average and an AL-Best 294 Putouts, With the Winner Named Sunday
Smith had never played right field before he reached the majors. He is now a Gold Glove finalist there for the second straight season - and the numbers say his case is better than his underdog billing.
HOUSTON - Cam Smith had never played right field before reaching the majors. Now he is a Gold Glove finalist there for the second straight season, and when Rawlings announces the winners Sunday night on ESPN, the Astros outfielder's case will rest on the part of defense that shows up on the most balls: range. Managers and coaches make up 75 percent of the vote; the SABR Defensive Index, a blend of advanced defensive metrics, counts for the other 25 percent. In the index's last public update on August 9, Smith ranked second among American League right fielders, behind Boston's Wilyer Abreu and ahead of Toronto's Nathan Lukes.
The range numbers are Smith's argument. He finished with 7 outs above average - the 91st percentile, and fourth among all major league right fielders - while Abreu and Lukes finished at 2 apiece. In plain terms, Smith made more tough plays than an average right fielder would, and more than either of the other finalists. He also led AL right fielders with 294 putouts, and his 157 games in the outfield were the most of any AL player - a jump from 1 out above average in 2025, in just his second season at the position.
The honest counterargument belongs to Abreu, the two-time winner who remains the favorite. His 28 defensive runs saved led all of baseball by a wide margin, his 13 outfield assists ranked second in the majors, and Statcast rated Lukes's arm the most valuable among AL outfielders. Runs saved is not kind to Smith either - he posted 5 in the outfield after 12 in 2025 - and while his arm strength ranks in the 80th percentile, his arm value has not followed. Statcast says he got better this year; runs saved says he slipped.
Smith is 23 and hit .210 with 21 home runs this season - the glove is ahead of the bat, which buys him time in right field while the offense catches up. If the managers and coaches value range and durability, an upset on Sunday is not out of the question; if they value the complete defensive ledger, Abreu has earned it. Either way, a player two seasons into a position he had never played is already deciding Gold Glove races - and Houston's right field is settled for years.
