Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela was among the finalists for the American League Platinum Glove Award, but he'll have to wait at least another year for a chance to take home the honor.
New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger won the award in the American League, while Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong earned the National League honor.
Rafaela made a strong case for the award, which debuted in 2011 and is presented annually to the best defensive player in each league. The Red Sox center fielder earned his second consecutive Gold Glove this offseason after making his first All-Star appearance during the regular season.
Rafaela finished with 21 defensive runs saved, at least 15 more than any other AL center fielder. He also led AL center fielders with eight outfield assists and 16 Outs Above Average. Only teammate and three-time Gold Glove winner Wilyer Abreu had more defensive runs saved among major league outfielders, finishing with 28.
“He’s amazing,” Abreu told ESPN of Rafaela during the Gold Glove announcements earlier this week. “He’s probably the best outfielder in the league. He’s on another level. He can do everything. He can throw, he can run, he can make unbelievable plays, and that makes him special in the outfield. He’s something else. He can do everything.”
Since the start of 2024, Abreu (60) and Rafaela (53) have accumulated more defensive runs saved than any other major leaguers. This week, they became the third pair of Red Sox teammates to win Gold Gloves in consecutive seasons, joining Carl Yastrzemski and George Scott (1967-68), and Dwight Evans and Fred Lynn (1978-79).
While Rafaela wasn't a Silver Slugger finalist alongside Abreu and first baseman Willson Contreras, he also enjoyed a strong season offensively.
Rafaela's .285 batting average was at least 38 points higher than any other qualified AL center fielder. He also led the group with 154 hits, 32 doubles and a .444 slugging percentage, establishing career highs in hits, batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
Superb leaping catch by Ceddanne Rafaela! pic.twitter.com/RB6YSLiFZ6
— MLB (@MLB) April 22, 2026
Rafaela, Abreu and third baseman Caleb Durbin combined to give Boston three Gold Glove winners in 2026, matching the franchise's single-season record previously accomplished in 1968, 1979, 2011 and 2018.
Bellinger, meanwhile, finished with 21 defensive runs saved, according to Sports Info Solutions, ranking third in the majors behind Abreu (28) and Milwaukee's Brice Turang (23).
The Yankees outfielder also recorded a Fielding Run Value of +8 and six Outs Above Average, according to Baseball Savant.
A 2026 All-Star, Bellinger appeared in 130 games in the outfield, including 123 in left field. He ranked in the 87th percentile in Fielding Run Value and 91st percentile in Outs Above Average.
In the National League, Crow-Armstrong became the second Cubs player to win the Platinum Glove, joining Anthony Rizzo, who earned the honor in 2016.
Crow-Armstrong, who also won his second consecutive Gold Glove this season, led the majors with +26 Outs Above Average, marking his second straight season leading or tying for the MLB lead in the category.
His +63 OAA since the start of 2024 trails only Bobby Witt Jr. (+64), while his 16 Defensive Runs Saved tied for the seventh-most among major league players.
Contreras and Abreu Silver Slugger Finalists
The Red Sox have two American League Silver Slugger finalists in Contreras and Abreu, both seeking their first career award.
Contreras is a finalist at first base after a career year offensively, while Abreu is among nine outfield finalists following a season in which he led the American League with 38 doubles.
Contreras hit a career-high 27 home runs and posted a .901 OPS in 130 games. He also ranked among the league's best in several advanced offensive metrics, including expected weighted on-base percentage and bat speed.
Abreu, meanwhile, hit 24 home runs and posted a .773 OPS in 157 games. His Silver Slugger nomination comes just four days after winning his third consecutive Gold Glove in right field.
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Shelly Duncan will be joining the Red Sox coaching staff for the 2027 season.
Red Sox Add to Tracy's Coaching Staff
The Red Sox are adding to their coaching staff with the hiring of Shelley Duncan, the longtime Yankees minor league manager who most recently managed Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Duncan is a close friend of Red Sox manager Chad Tracy, whom he managed against for years at Triple-A. Boston has yet to determine Duncan's exact role, but both he and Jason Bell, who will serve as the team's outfield instructor, are reportedly candidates for the vacant first- and third-base coaching positions.
Duncan, 47, brings extensive managerial and coaching experience. He previously managed at both Single-A and Double-A in the Diamondbacks' organization before serving as Toronto's major league field coordinator in 2019 and 2020. He later spent the 2021 season as the White Sox' analytics coordinator.
For the last four seasons, Duncan managed the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He was named International League Manager of the Year in 2025 after guiding the RailRiders to an 87-60 record. The club followed that performance with a 78-68 record in 2026.
During his time with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Duncan managed several players currently on Boston's roster, including Durbin, Mickey Gasper and Jahmai Jones.
Duncan also comes from a baseball family. His father, Dave Duncan, was a longtime major league pitching coach, while his brother, Chris Duncan, spent five seasons in the majors with the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Sox new coach played parts of seven major league seasons with the Yankees, Cleveland and Tampa Bay, batting .226 across 330 games. He last played professionally in 2014 before beginning his coaching career with Arizona the following year.
His addition brings more major league playing experience to Tracy's coaching staff.
After Boston fired manager Alex Cora and several members of his coaching staff in late April, Andrew Bailey was the only coach on Tracy's staff with major league playing experience. Duncan now becomes the second.
The Red Sox have not ruled out adding a