Most Gold Gloves Won in MLB

Greg Maddux won 18 Rawlings Gold Gloves, the most of any player in Major League Baseball history, all of them as a pitcher between 1990 and 2008. Among position players the record belongs to third baseman Brooks Robinson, whose 16 straight awards remain the standard for defensive dominance at a single spot on the diamond.

The Gold Glove has honored the best fielder at each position since 1957, rewarding defense in a sport that often celebrates hitting. Because the award is split by position, the leaderboard mixes pitchers, catchers and infielders, which makes it worth clarifying who leads overall and who leads among everyday players. Here is the full leaderboard, the careers behind it, and why Maddux and Robinson stand apart. All figures are as of the 2025 season.

The record holder: Greg Maddux and 18 Gold Gloves

Maddux was one of the greatest pitchers of his era, but his fielding was a weapon in its own right. Fast off the mound and precise in handling bunts and comebackers, he turned defense into another way to control a game. He won 13 in a row at one stretch and kept adding to the total deep into his career, finishing with 18, more than any player at any position.

Because pitchers field far fewer chances than infielders, Maddux’s total is a testament to both skill and longevity. No pitcher, and no position player, has come within two of his mark.

The full leaderboard of Gold Glove winners

The table below ranks players by career Gold Gloves, with position and era noted.

Rank	Gold Gloves	Player	Position	Career span
1	18	Greg Maddux	Pitcher	1990-2008
2	16	Brooks Robinson	Third base	1960-1975
3	16	Jim Kaat	Pitcher	1962-1977
4	13	Iván Rodríguez	Catcher	1992-2007
5	13	Ozzie Smith	Shortstop	1980-1992
6	12	Roberto Clemente	Right field	1961-1972
7	12	Willie Mays	Center field	1957-1968
8	11	Keith Hernandez	First base	1978-1988
9	11	Omar Vizquel	Shortstop	1993-2006
10	10	Ken Griffey Jr.	Center field	1990-1999

Pitchers hold the top two spots, but every other position is represented, from catcher and shortstop to the outfield. It is one of the few leaderboards in baseball where a pitcher and a third baseman sit side by side at the summit.

Brooks Robinson and the position-player record

Brooks Robinson’s 16 Gold Gloves, won in consecutive seasons from 1960 to 1975, remain the most by any position player. He redefined third-base defense for the Baltimore Orioles and is still the benchmark by which glove-first infielders are measured. His 16 sit level with Jim Kaat on the overall list and behind only Maddux.

Catchers, shortstops and the two-way stars

Behind the leaders, Iván Rodríguez and Ozzie Smith share 13 each, one a catcher and the other a shortstop, showing that the game’s toughest defensive positions produce its most decorated gloves. Roberto Clemente and Willie Mays carried the outfield with 12 apiece while also ranking among the sport’s greatest all-around players, appearing on our lists of the greatest baseball players and, for the game’s top run producers, the most hits in MLB history.

Why the record matters

The Gold Glove rewards the half of baseball that box scores often overlook, sustained across a long career. Maddux’s 18 and Robinson’s 16 both required elite defense year after year, which is why they have gone unchallenged for so long. For the pitching and hitting equivalents, see our leaderboards for the most Cy Young awards and the most MVP awards in MLB.

The short version: Greg Maddux holds the MLB record for the most Gold Gloves with 18, all as a pitcher, while Brooks Robinson leads position players with 16. Iván Rodríguez and Ozzie Smith share 13. As of the 2025 season, active third baseman Nolan Arenado leads current players with 10.