Giants' Matt Chapman Joins Historic Company By Continuing Gold Glove Dominance

All-Star third baseman Matt Chapman won his fifth career Gold Glove on Sunday, now having done so with the Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants.

Sep 28, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman (26) sets up in the field against the St. Louis Cardinals during the fourth inning at Oracle Park. / Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

Matt Chapman had already established himself as one of the top defensive third basemen of his generation, but he took a historic step forward in that regard on Sunday.

The San Francisco Giants third baseman won a National League Gold Glove Award, courtesy of Rawlings Baseball. While his teammate, catcher Patrick Bailey, earned his first Gold Glove, Chapman now has five in his career.

Chapman's first Gold Glove came back in 2018, when he was still a member of the Oakland Athletics. He claimed the same hardware in 2019 and 2021, then did it again with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2023.

Just one year into his tenure with the Giants, Chapman has added another trophy to his shelf.

According to MLB.com's Sarah Langs and the Elias Sports Bureau, Chapman is the 14th player ever to win a Gold Glove with three different franchises. He is the fourth to do so in the 21st century, joining Orlando Hudson, Adrian Gonzalez and Jason Heyward.

Chapman is the only third baseman of those four, and he is tied with Heyward for the most career Gold Gloves in that exclusive club.

Matt Chapman is the 14th player to win a Gold Glove award for 3+ different franchises

4th of those among players to first win the award in 2000 or later, joining:

Jason Heyward ATL, STL, CHC
Adrian Gonzalez SD, BOS, LAD
Orlando Hudson TOR, ARI, LAD

h/t @EliasSports https://t.co/YXjgqFEUdS

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) November 4, 2024

There have now been 12 third basemen in MLB history to win at least five Gold Glove Awards.

Nolan Arenado, Scott Rolen, Eric Chavez and Adrian Beltre are the only other players at the position to achieve the feat in the Wild Card era. Rolen and Beltre are already in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, while Arenado is widely expected to make it to Cooperstown once his playing days are over.

Chapman racked up 17 defensive runs saved and a 2.2 defensive WAR this season. He ranked in the 96th percentile in Outs Above Average and 88th percentile in Fielding Run Value, per Baseball Savant.

On offense, Chapman hit .247 with 27 home runs, 78 RBI, 15 stolen bases and a .790 OPS. His 7.1 WAR was his highest since his lone All-Star campaign in 2019, leading San Francisco in the category.

The Giants added Chapman on a three-year, $54 million contract last offseason, although he had opt-outs built in after each of the first two seasons. Instead of letting him test free agency again, San Francisco's front office inked Chapman to a six-year, $151 million contract extension in September.

As a result, the Giants have a top-tier third baseman locked down for the foreseeable future, fortifying their infield defense in the process.

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