Major League Baseball’s awards season is underway, and Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper is once again in contention for one of the league’s top defensive honors. Rawlings announced Wednesday that Harper is one of three National League finalists for the 2025 Gold Glove Award at first base, his second consecutive year as a finalist. The other two players in the category are Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson and Cincinnati Reds infielder Spencer Steer. Results will be announced on November 2.
Harper, 33, earned the recognition in only his second full season at first base after moving from right field in 2023. He appeared in 130 games, logging 1,132 2/3 innings and committing just two errors for a .998 fielding percentage. Advanced metrics show a +1 Outs Above Average (OAA), -1 Fielding Run Value (FRV), and -3 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS). Olson led all Major League first basemen with +17 DRS and +9 OAA, while Steer tied for fourth among all MLB players at the position with +6 OAA.
The Phillies’ last Gold Glove winner was pitcher Zack Wheeler in 2023. This season, Harper is the club’s only finalist. Gold Glove selections are determined through votes by managers and coaches, who cannot vote for their own players, along with advanced defensive metrics compiled by Rawlings and SABR.
Two Phillies infielders who performed at a high level—Bryson Stott and Trea Turner—did not receive nominations. Stott, a two-time finalist at second base, tied for third among National League players at his position with seven Outs Above Average, according to Statcast. The finalists at second base were the Chicago Cubs’ Nico Hoerner, Miami Marlins’ Xavier Edwards, and Milwaukee Brewers’ Brice Turang, who won the award last year.
Turner also had a strong case at shortstop after a major defensive turnaround in 2025. Over 139 games and 1,126 1/3 innings, he made eight errors—five fielding and three throwing—after recording 40 over his first two seasons with Philadelphia. Statcast ranked Turner tied for third among National League shortstops with 17 Outs Above Average and third in Fielding Run Value at 11. The shortstop finalists were Masyn Winn of the St. Louis Cardinals, Nick Allen of the Atlanta Braves, and Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Winn and Allen posted similar defensive numbers to Turner, while Betts, in his first season at shortstop, had five Outs Above Average and a Fielding Run Value of three.
Phillies infield coach Bobby Dickerson discussed Turner’s improvement in September, explaining that changing perceptions of defensive ability can take time. He referenced a saying from former Phillies shortstop Larry Bowa that reputations are easy to gain and hard to change, which Turner has worked to reshape his defensive image through consistent play.
While the Gold Glove race highlights defensive performance, betting markets also tracked the Phillies’ success throughout the 2025 season. According to DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, PointsBet, and Caesars, Philadelphia’s World Series futures improved from +1100 early in the year to +425 entering the postseason, placing them among the top favorites. Harper opened around +1400 for National League MVP and fluctuated between +1000 and +2000 during the season. BetMGM reported that the Dodgers held 11.5% of tickets and 19.7% of handle entering October, while the Phillies and Brewers drew heavy action, with Milwaukee identified as BetMGM’s largest liability. Despite losing Wheeler to thoracic outlet syndrome, the Phillies’ 96-win season and 13-game lead in the National League East kept their betting odds stable across major books.
Philadelphia’s season ended in the National League Division Series, where the team lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in four games. Manager Rob Thomson is set to return for the 2026 season and will join the president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, for the club’s end-of-season press conference on Thursday morning.
