Happy birthday to Hall of Famer Jim Kaat, who turns 88 today. Kaat had a 3.45 ERA and 283 wins in 25 seasons in the majors, with 15 of those seasons spent with the Twins/Senators franchise. Kaat has won 16 consecutive Gold Gloves in his career, which ties into this defense-themed edition of the Opener…
1. Bellinger and PCA win Platinum gloves
Cody Bellinger And Pete Crow Armstrong were announced as Gold Glove winners last Sunday, and both outfielders got additional recognition Friday when Rawlings named the duo AL and NL Platinum Glove winners. This is the award given to the best defensive player (at any position) in each league, and both of this year’s recipients are first-time winners. The Platinum Glove adds to a long list of accolades to come for PCA, as beyond his Gold Glove and Fielding Bible Award for Best Defensive Player of 2026, the Cubs center fielder is widely expected to take home NL MVP honors on November 12.
2. Blue Jays and Cubs receive team Gold Gloves
Rawlings also announced that the Blue Jays and Cubs won team Gold Glove awards, given to the best defensive clubs in each league. Crow-Armstrong was just one piece of an incredible run prevention unit for the Cubs, who led the majors with 72 outs above average and +115 defensive runs saved. To give you an idea of Chicago’s dominance, the second-place teams in these categories were the Diamondbacks’ 44 OAA and the Rays’ +87 DRS. Toronto posted 15 OAA and +51 DRS, finishing 11th and sixth in majors in each category. Since Rawlings began delivering the Gold Glove to the team in 2020, the Cubs and Blue Jays have each won three times.
3. Recap of the busy day of the Nationals
Jacob YoungThe four-year, $23 million contract extension is the headline, but it was just one piece of a Friday transaction in the District. The Nats also strengthened their relief mix by acquiring the left-hander Reiver Sanmartin Giants minor league right-hander Robert CranzAnd Kyle Nicholas was designated to create room for Sanmartin on Washington’s 40-man roster. Sanmartin, Nate FurmanAnd Braxton Roxby have all flown from San Francisco to D.C. over the past nine days, as the Nationals took advantage of a Giants team facing a major roster crisis. The Nats’ moves required their own maintenance, and after Jose Tena was DFA earlier this week, Tena was claimed yesterday by the Guardians.
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