Greg Maddux

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Lore & Background

Greg Maddux won the Gold Glove Award 18 times, more than any other player in Major League Baseball history. He won 13 consecutive awards from 1990 to 2002, all in the National League. This streak places him among the most decorated defensive players in the game. The Gold Glove is awarded annually to players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances, as determined by voting from managers and coaches in each league, with a sabermetric component from the Society for American Baseball Research accounting for about 25 percent of the vote since 2013. Maddux's 18 Gold Gloves are tied with Brooks Robinson and Jim Kaat for the second-highest total overall, though Robinson and Kaat each won their 16 awards consecutively. The only player to win more Gold Gloves than Maddux is none, as his 18 remain the record.

Reader's Guide

Greg Maddux's 18 Gold Gloves are the most ever won by a single player. He won 13 consecutive awards from 1990 to 2002, all in the National League. This record stands above other defensive greats: Brooks Robinson has the most wins for a position player with 16 Gold Gloves, all at third base, and is tied for the second-highest total overall with pitcher Jim Kaat. Iván Rodríguez has won the most Gold Gloves as a catcher with 13, and Ozzie Smith has 13 wins at shortstop. Among outfielders, Roberto Clemente and Willie Mays are tied for the lead with 12 Gold Gloves. Maddux's 18 awards are the benchmark for defensive excellence in baseball, a record that has stood since his final award in 2002.

Did You Know?

• Greg Maddux holds the record for most Gold Gloves ever won by one player with 18.
• He won 13 consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 1990 to 2002, all in the National League.
• Maddux's 18 Gold Gloves are tied with Brooks Robinson and Jim Kaat for the second-highest total overall, though Robinson and Kaat each won their 16 awards consecutively.
• The Gold Glove Award was created by Rawlings in 1957 to commemorate the best fielding performance at each position.
• Since 2013, a sabermetric component from the Society for American Baseball Research accounts for about 25 percent of the Gold Glove vote.