Brice Turang has built a reputation as one of the best defensive second basemen in Major League Baseball, but his outstanding work with the glove may not be enough to secure another Gold Glove Award in 2026.
The Milwaukee Brewers infielder is once again facing strong competition for the prestigious defensive honor, and this time the biggest threat is coming from an unexpected source. St. Louis Cardinals rookie JJ Wetherholt has emerged as a leading candidate, with MLB.com’s experts projecting the young infielder to take home the award.
That prediction has sparked an interesting debate because Turang’s defensive numbers remain among the best at his position. While Wetherholt has established a significant advantage in certain advanced defensive statistics, Turang has produced an equally compelling case in another important category.
The difference could ultimately come down to which defensive metric voters value most.
Turang Has Already Proven Himself Among the Best
Second base has not always been viewed as a position requiring elite defensive ability. Historically, teams could sometimes tolerate a weaker defender at second if they had a particularly athletic shortstop or another infielder capable of covering additional ground.
That philosophy has changed considerably in recent years.
Players such as Turang have helped demonstrate just how valuable an exceptional defensive second baseman can be. His range, instincts, positioning and ability to turn difficult plays into outs have made him one of the most respected defenders in the National League.
Turang’s defensive résumé is already impressive. In 2024, he became only the second second baseman to win a Platinum Glove since the award was introduced in 2011. Andrés Giménez was the other player at the position to accomplish that feat, doing so in 2023.
Winning a Platinum Glove is especially significant because the award recognizes the best overall defensive player in each league. Turang’s achievement therefore placed him among the very best defenders in baseball, not merely the top second basemen.
He followed that remarkable season by becoming a Gold Glove finalist again in 2025. However, he ultimately lost the award to Chicago Cubs infielder Nico Hoerner.
Now, history could be repeating itself.
JJ Wetherholt Is Building a Strong Case
Wetherholt’s emergence has added another layer to the Gold Glove conversation.
The Cardinals rookie has impressed defensively throughout the 2026 campaign, and MLB.com’s Gold Glove predictions currently favor him over Turang.
One major reason is Wetherholt’s performance in Outs Above Average and Fielding Run Value.
Wetherholt leads all second basemen with a +21 mark in both categories. Those are excellent numbers and provide a clear explanation for why analysts have placed him at the front of the race.
Turang, meanwhile, sits fourth in Outs Above Average with +12 and second in Fielding Run Value with +12.
On the surface, that gives Wetherholt a substantial statistical advantage. However, the numbers do not tell the entire story.
There is another defensive statistic in which Turang has created an impressive separation from the competition: Defensive Runs Saved.
Defensive Runs Saved Gives Turang a Major Advantage
Turang currently owns a +21 Defensive Runs Saved total, which puts him seven runs ahead of Nasim Nuñez and eight runs ahead of Wetherholt.
That is a considerable gap, especially when evaluating a player’s overall defensive impact.
Defensive Runs Saved attempts to provide a broader assessment of defensive performance. Rather than focusing primarily on how much ground a player covers, the statistic considers a player’s ability to turn balls in play into outs and contribute positively across different aspects of defense.
Range is still part of the equation, but it is not the only factor.
That distinction could be particularly relevant at second base.
Outs Above Average is heavily influenced by range, making it especially valuable when evaluating players at positions such as center field, where covering large amounts of territory is a central responsibility. At second base, however, positioning, instincts, hands, throwing ability and the ability to consistently complete routine and difficult plays also matter greatly.
That makes Turang’s advantage in Defensive Runs Saved particularly noteworthy.
Turang Has History on His Side
There is also precedent suggesting that Turang should not be counted out simply because Wetherholt leads him in OAA and Fielding Run Value.
When Turang won both the Gold Glove and Platinum Glove in 2024, his defensive profile looked somewhat different from the one he has produced this season.
That year, Turang posted an extraordinary +22 Defensive Runs Saved, a figure that separated him dramatically from the rest of the second-base field.
Interestingly, his Outs Above Average and Fielding Run Value totals were both only +5. Neither statistic placed him among the top four National League second basemen in those categories.
Yet Turang still won the Gold Glove.
That example is important because it demonstrates that voters are not necessarily required to choose the player who ranks first in OAA or Fielding Run Value.
Instead, a player’s overall defensive impact can carry significant weight.
And if Turang’s current +21 Defensive Runs Saved remains intact through the end of the season, he could have a compelling argument once voting begins.
Another Gold Glove Debate Could Be Coming
There is no guarantee that Turang will win the award, of course.
Wetherholt’s numbers are impressive, and his status as a rookie could make his defensive performance even more noteworthy. If he continues to lead second basemen in OAA and Fielding Run Value, voters will have plenty of reasons to support him.
Still, Turang’s case should not be dismissed.
He has already demonstrated that he can dominate the defensive conversation at second base. His Platinum Glove victory in 2024 established that he is capable of receiving recognition even when certain advanced statistics do not place him at the very top.
His current Defensive Runs Saved total also provides perhaps the strongest argument that he remains one of the most impactful defenders at the position.
For Brewers fans, the situation may therefore be frustrating. Turang could once again find himself being overlooked despite producing elite defensive numbers.
The possibility of losing another Gold Glove to an NL Central rival would only add to that frustration.
Turang Deserves to Remain in the Conversation
Ultimately, Wetherholt may very well deserve the award. His performance has been outstanding, and leading the position in two major defensive metrics is no small accomplishment.
But Turang deserves considerably more recognition than the current predictions suggest.
The Brewers star has consistently established himself as an elite defensive presence, and his +21 Defensive Runs Saved provides a powerful counterargument to the metrics favoring Wetherholt.
The Gold Glove race may therefore be much closer than the early predictions indicate.
If voters place greater emphasis on range-based statistics, Wetherholt could have the advantage. If they consider overall defensive effectiveness and place significant weight on Defensive Runs Saved, Turang could once again emerge as the winner.
One thing is certain: Turang’s defensive excellence should not be overlooked.
After winning a Gold Glove and Platinum Glove in 2024 and reaching finalist status again in 2025, he has continued to make his case in 2026.
Whether that will be enough to overcome Wetherholt remains to be seen, but writing Turang off at this stage would be premature.
