Vladimir Guerrero Jr leads a group of five Blue Jays named 2026 Gold Glove finalists. For a last-place team, the glove work held up better than almost anything else.

Joining him are José Soriano, Brandon Valenzuela, Andres Gimenez and Nathan Lukes. That's a pitcher, a catcher, a first baseman, a shortstop and an outfielder.

Giménez is the strongest case. His 16 Fielding Run Value ranked seventh among qualified fielders at any position.

Among shortstops, only Bobby Witt Jr. and Masyn Winn graded out better.

Guerrero's nod is the most interesting. His bat collapsed to a .688 OPS, but he played Gold Glove-caliber defense at first base.

That glove is a big reason he still finished with positive value, at 1.1 bWAR.

Alejandro Kirk and Ernie Clement are the notable omissions

Soriano makes the list after a season split between the Angels and Blue Jays. His 53.8% ground ball rate gave him plenty of chances to field his position.

Valenzuela earns recognition behind the plate, and Lukes gets the nod in the outfield. Both took on bigger roles in a season wrecked by injuries.

The omissions stand out, too. Kirk led every Blue Jay with at least 1,000 innings in Fielding Run Value from 2024 through 2026, but he missed two months at the start of this season.

Clement, a Gold Glove finalist in 2024 and 2025, didn't make it this time. His work at second base graded out at -5 OAA.

Does any of this matter for a team that finished 79-83? It does, because defense is the one thing Toronto doesn't have to rebuild this winter.

Giménez should win it. A shortstop who ranked among the best defenders in baseball deserves the hardware, even if his bat gave Toronto headaches.

This roster is a house with a solid foundation and a leaky roof. The gloves are the concrete, and Ross Atkins' job is fixing everything above them.

However many trophies come home, five finalists won't hide a lineup that finished last in the majors in runs.