Rangers Utilityman Ezequiel Duran Earns 2026 Gold Glove
Duran becomes the first player in team history to win the award for multiple defensive positions, following a season in which he started games at seven different spots on the field.
By Amina Howard ·
Ezequiel Duran of the Texas Rangers received the 2026 Rawlings Gold Glove Award on Sunday. The honor recognizes defensive performance across the major leagues. This marks the first Gold Glove of Duran's career.
The 27-year-old infielder and outfielder appeared in a career-high 153 games this season. He distributed those appearances across seven different defensive roles. Duran played third base in 57 games and shortstop in 53 games. He also took the field at second base for 37 games, left field for 21 games, center field for 18 games, right field for 14 games, and first base for three games. He was the only Major League Baseball player this year to start and finish a game at every position except pitcher and catcher.
Defensive metrics supported his selection. Duran recorded 17 outs above average, a figure that tied for the sixth-highest total in all of baseball. His performance at shortstop resulted in 11 outs above average, which ranked fourth in the American League despite him making only 49 starts at that position.
Fans have referred to Duran as The Solution because of his ability to play multiple positions at a high level. He previously covered all seven non-pitcher, non-catcher positions during the 2024 season. Duran is the first Ranger to win the utility Gold Glove since Rawlings introduced the category in 2022.
The award increases the total number of Rangers players to hold a Gold Glove to 19. The team has claimed five awards in the last four seasons. Recent winners include Marcus Semien in 2025 and Adolis García, Nathaniel Lowe, and Jonah Heim in 2023. Rangers players have now won awards at eight of the 10 current positions.
Three other Rangers finalists did not win their respective awards this year. Right-handed pitcher Jacob deGrom, left fielder Wyatt Langford, and center fielder Evan Carter lost in their categories.
Rawlings will present the physical trophy to Duran and the other winners during a ceremony in New York City on Friday, Nov. 6.
