Royals seem to have a forgotten Gold Glove dark horse on their hands

The Kansas City Royals have a strong history of Gold Glove winners, and the 2025 roster features several leading candidates at their positions.

Third baseman Maikel Garcia and shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. form one of the league’s best infield tandems when it comes to defensive prowess, and they should, at the very least, be finalists for their respective positions in the American League.

Some individual postseason hardware can help soothe the sting of an October-less season for the Royals. But there is another name Royals fans should expect to see in the Gold Glove conversation—even if he doesn't ultimately win the coveted award.

Outfielder Kyle Isbel has been the glue guy in Kansas City’s outfield for the better part of four seasons, serving as the team’s primary center fielder. While his below-average production at the plate draws the ire of many Royals fans, there is no denying his value as an elite defender in one of baseball’s most expansive outfields.

He has consistently been an above-average player, including three consecutive seasons (2023–2025) with at least 1.5 bWAR. Entering his final year of team control, it will be interesting to see what a Royals roster looks like without Isbel— or whether he finds a way to remain in Kansas City.

Any questions about what Isbel brings to the team end with his defensive value, and that alone should place him back into the Gold Glove conversation.

Several factors influence the selection of Gold Glove winners, but the most notable metric is the SABR Defensive Index (SDI). This statistic has contributed to selecting Gold and Platinum Glove winners since 2013 and “accounts for approximately 25 percent of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award selection process.” It differs from the Fielding Bible’s Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) or MLB’s Outs Above Average (OAA), and it is not updated in real time.

Kyle Isbel's Gold Glove case may be the Royals' strongest this season.

In the most recent SDI standings update, Witt and Garcia both rank among the league’s best at their respective positions but it is Isbel who ranks highest at his position, sitting in third place by a wide margin.

Isbel trails only Seattle’s Julio Rodríguez and Boston’s Ceddanne Rafaela, with a 6.7 SDI for the season. For reference, that mark is the 12th-best in the American League overall and the highest of any Royals player this season. Rafaela held a comfortable lead in the August 10 update, but Isbel’s continued presence among the AL’s elite is commendable.

This statistic is not the definitive measure of defensive value, but if the Gold Glove were awarded based solely on fielding metrics, Isbel should absolutely be a finalist. There have been notable examples in recent years of players being snubbed or recognized based more on offensive performance or team narrative than defense. Yet Isbel excels in the areas he can control.

The Royals' recent history of Gold Glove Award winners isn't as robust as it once was when they were seemingly seeing one of their players take one home on a yearly basis. Witt's one at short last season and Seth Lugo's recognition on the mound were the first since 2021.

Could Isbel break that drought? The odds are against him, but he has an underrated case that voters should not overlook.