Jared Triolo had a Gold Glove-worthy encore for Pirates in 2025 and still got snubbed

With his second straight Gold Glove nomination, Jared Triolo was attempting to become the Pittsburgh Pirates’ first repeat winner since Starling Marte in 2015-16. Instead, Javier Sanoja of the Miami Marlins was honored as the National League winner for the utility position in 2025, despite Triolo leading the finalists with nine defensive runs saved (according to FanGraphs).

So, let's get this straight. In Triolo, you have a player with proven elite versatility and dependable defense, a prior winner and some indication of continued high-level performance – and yet, he did not win the 2025 Gold Glove at his position. That gap invites scrutiny.

In 2024, Triolo won the NL Gold Glove at the utility position with plus-7 defensive runs saved while bouncing around the infield. In 2025, he added to that standard with a better defensive rating (plus-9). If last year’s version was award-worthy, the 2025 upgrade should’ve been, too.

Pirates' Jared Triolo snubbed in 2025 after improving on 2024 Gold Glove form

Triolo's total defensive value across all positions (first base, second base, third base and shortstop) in 2025 was plus-9 defensive runs saved and plus-7 outs about average. Sanoja's was plus-7 defensive runs saved and plus-1 outs above average, and he even had minus-2 defensive runs saved in center field. On aggregate run prevention and Statcast range, Triolo clearly separated.

The core case for Triolo vs. Sanoja comes down to the position at which each logged the most defensive innings during the 2025 season – third base. In 260 1/3 innings at the hot corner, Triolo was worth plus-7 defensive runs saved and plus-4 outs above average. Sanoja, meanwhile, was worth plus-4 defensive runs saved and plus-1 outs above average in 255 2/3 innings at the same position – still above average, but not as strong as Triolo in their most comparable spot.

The optics, however, were skewed in Sanoja's favor. He logged “everywhere” credibility, playing both infield and outfield (true utility brand), which can impress voters – even when the quality measured by outs above average and/or defensive runs saved lags a bit behind. Since human votes account for 75% of the Gold Glove outcome, name recognition, highlights and narrative can outweigh small but meaningful metric edges (like the ones Triolo had).

That said, the utility award should reward multi-spot excellence, not just coverage. Triolo’s per-position quality (especially at third base, their most comparable position) deserved the nod. If you prioritize objective glove value, Triolo’s profile – better defensive runs saved, better outs above average and superior head-to-head at third base – beats Sanoja’s.

Given that he improved on his 2024 Gold Glove form, it's fair to argue that Triolo was snubbed in 2025. The result looks more like a ballot-tilt toward usage and storyline than awarding the strictly best utility glove.