Pirates earn surprising Gold Glove finalist nod (but he's a serious underdog)

Probably won't be a winner, but deserves a tip of the cap.
Los Angeles Dodgers v Pittsburgh Pirates
Los Angeles Dodgers v Pittsburgh Pirates | Brandon Sloter/GettyImages

After what was a disappointing season, the Pirates surprisingly earned the chance at some hardware this offseason. Paul Skenes in expected to be in the running for Cy Young, if not the likely favorite, and two finalists from Pittsburgh for a Gold Glove Award came out of the blue to join him on Wednesday. Jared Triolo is now in the running for his second straight as a utility guy, and Tommy Pham has come out of nowhere as a finalist in left field.

Pham was a DFA candidate for months before breaking out in June and July. Then, all of a sudden, he turned things around. Given the roller coaster ride his offense was this season, it was easy to forget about what he was doing in the outfield.

He finished the year with five DRS, but -2 OAA. His fielding run value ranked in the 26th percentile. Those numbers are decent, but shouldn't land him a Gold Glove award.

Ian Happ was another finalist in left field, and his numbers appear to propel him in front of Pham for the award. Happ finished with nine DRS and an even zero at OAA. His fielding run value was slightly above average, ranking in the 53rd percentile.

Happ should easily win this award as the other finalist, Kyle Stowers, has just two DRS and -1 OAA. Pham likely has the edge over Stowers, but it won't matter. Pham is an absolute underdog here and likely has no chance, yet it is still an accomplishment to become a finalist. Hopefully this nod doesn't persuade Ben Cherington to start him in left field again.

Jared Triolo could win second straight Gold Glove with Pirates, while Tommy Pham is a serious underdog

Triolo's monster second half earned him a starting spot in 2026, and now he could win his second straight as a utility guy, which should completely cement him in that role. He is poised to easily replace the great glove at third base from Ke'Bryan Hayes with an even better bat. The Pirates are in a much better spot moving forward with Triolo over Hayes.

That said, it would be a miracle if Pham and Triolo both won these honors this winter. There were not many positives to take away from the Pirates' season. At least now they have some finalists for a huge award.

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