Defense is increasingly becoming a young man’s game.

From 1957, the year they were first handed out, to 2012, only nine rookies won Rawlings Gold Glove Awards. The same number have captured the game’s top defensive prize since 2013, including six in the past three seasons alone.

Red Sox right fielder Wilyer Abreu was the lone rookie awarded a Gold Glove in 2024, while Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio, Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn and Nationals outfielder Jacob Young were nominated as finalists.

Who could be next? Here are some current prospects who could compete for a Gold Glove in 2025:

Five with the best chances

Dylan Crews, OF, Nationals (No. 1/MLB No. 1)
A big reason the LSU star went second overall in the 2023 Draft -- and sits atop our Top 100 Prospects list now -- is his well-rounded profile. As good of a hitter as he’s been at virtually every level, he’s been nearly equally as good as a defender on the grass. Crews was worth +3 Outs Above Average during his 31-game Major League run at the end of this season, thanks to good lateral quickness going to either side, and his arm strength proved he could handle center or right field. Therein lies the issue with his Gold Glove candidacy. Crews could very well shift to center full time in 2025 should Washington sign a corner outfielder (say, like old friend Juan Soto?), but that would put him in GG competition with elite defenders like Brenton Doyle and Pete Crow-Armstrong in the National League. That won’t affect the Nationals’ thinking, though. Putting a franchise five-tool star in the middle of the park is an ideal outcome for any organization.

Jordan Lawlar, SS, D-backs (No. 1/MLB No. 9)
The 2021 sixth overall pick is a returning selection from last year’s list because he was limited to only 23 Minor League games by right thumb and left hamstring injuries this year, missing out on MLB chances after making Arizona’s postseason roster in 2023. Lawlar is currently making up for that lost time with Tigres del Licey in LIDOM, where he’s getting reps at both shortstop (10 starts) and third base (five). His plus-plus speed is helpful for moving deep into the hole at the six, and he has enough arm for third base to move there if needed. Metrics were mixed on Arizona's starting shortstop Geraldo Perdomo’s defense in 2024 (-1 OAA, 10 Defensive Runs Saved), and Lawlar’s speed advantage could make him the favorite to lock down short once Arizona deems him ready next spring.

Jacob Melton, OF, Astros (No. 1/MLB No. 89)
Houston's Jake Meyers fielded his way to a Gold Glove finalist spot in the American League this year, and Melton, who played 47 games this season with Triple-A Sugar Land, could be knocking on the door as a better offensive option in 2025. The 2022 second-rounder has the plus speed needed to play up the middle and the arm strength to handle right too. His willingness to make dives (like the ones here and here) gives him some flash as well. Melton’s name came up multiple times when we sought candidates for the 2024 MiLB Defensive Player of the Year award. If he can cut down on some of his chasing at the plate, he could push for enough MLB playing time with the big club to be in consideration for another honor in ‘25.

Drew Romo, C, Rockies (No. 8)
Romo debuted for Colorado on Aug. 17 but fell behind in the catching pecking order due to his bat (9-for-51, 18 strikeouts). His glovework, however, matched the scouting reports that have followed him since he was the 35th overall pick in the 2020 Draft. The 23-year-old was already an above-average framer and blocker in his early MLB work, particularly thriving on both pitches low and to his armside, and his 1.94 second average pop time on throws to second base was in the 68th percentile, right around Gold Glove finalists Jake Rogers (1.93), Will Smith (1.94) and Cal Raleigh (1.95). Before then, he used his arm strength to throw out 29.3 percent of attempted basestealers for Triple-A Albuquerque, 10th-best among the 59 catchers with at least 50 steal attempts at the Minors’ top level. It’ll take more work at the plate to get Romo to Gold Glove-level playing time, but Jacob Stallings’ declined option could create a lane.

Luisangel Acuña, SS/OF/2B, Mets (No. 12)
After the 22-year-old slashed just .258/.299/.355 over 131 games at Triple-A, you could debate whether Acuña had earned his Major League promotion in mid-September. But what the former Rangers prospect proved was that his run (95th percentile in Sprint Speed) and fielding tools give him a great floor, enabling him to slide in at shortstop while Francisco Lindor nursed a back injury. Acuña registered +3 OAA and 1 DRS in 89 2/3 innings at short, earning strong marks for his ability to come in on balls and track down grounders to his left. He worked as a late-game defensive replacement at second base, and depending on New York’s plans for Jeff McNeil, the keystone is where Acuña has his best chance at playing time in Queens. He and Lindor could be the strongest middle-infield defensive pairing in the National League.

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Have gloves, need playing time

Carson Williams, SS, Rays (No. 1/MLB No. 4)
Williams is the most likely prospect to win a future Gold Glove Award and could win several with his hands, range and arm strength. But he didn’t play above Double-A in 2024 and will likely get a long look at Triple-A Durham before reaching the bigs in ‘25.

Jeferson Quero, C, Brewers (No. 1/MLB No. 43)
A fantastic framer with a cannon of an arm, Quero made our list last year but played only one game for Triple-A Nashville in 2024 before suffering a season-ending torn labrum in his right shoulder. Now he has to prove health and get much-needed playing time at the Minors' top level before being considered to join William Contreras in the Crew’s catching corps.

Enrique Bradfield Jr., OF, Orioles (No. 4)
The 2023 17th overall pick out of Vanderbilt is an elite speedster with 80-grade wheels that make him capable of chasing down balls in the gaps other center fielders cannot. He just reached Double-A for 27 games in his first full season, however, and has a better chance of joining Baltimore as a pinch-runner/defensive extraordinaire during a late-season postseason run than he does getting Gold Glove-levels of playing time in the bigs next season.