While the majority of the regular season awards won’t be announced until after the World Series is over, Rawlings Sports today announced the finalists for their Gold Glove Award. Only one Dodger made the cut – Cody Bellinger was nominated for his superb play in right field.
The two other players nominated in the right field category were Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies and Jason Hayward of the Chicago Cubs.
Bellinger should have no problem winning this Gold Glove. He led all qualified Major League right fielders with 19 defensive runs saved and all qualified National League right fielders with a .990 fielding percentage. He also ranked second among NL right fielders with a 9.5 ultimate zone rating and 10 outfield assists.
As Dodger fans well know, right field was not the only defensive position that Bellinger played during the season, although it is where he spent the majority of his time. He played 911 1/3 innings in right field, as well as 230 innings at first base and 170 2/3 innings in center field.
Dave Roberts predicted that Cody would win a Gold Glove in September. “Defensively, he’s going to win the Gold Glove in right field this year — could’ve won it at first base or in center field. The versatility he provides is very valuable.”
Cody is the first Dodger nominated for the Gold Glove since Yasiel Puig was nominated in 2017, also for playing in right field. The last Dodger to win the award was Zack Greinke who won in both 2014 and 2015, and Adrian Gonzalez who won in 2014.
Bellinger is also presumably in the running for NL MVP, although that is not as sure of a lock as the Gold Glove award might be. He started the season hotter than almost any other player ever, batting over .400 well into May. He cooled and continued to decline as the season went on, ultimately finishing the season with a .305/.406/.629/1.035 slash line, 47 home runs and 34 doubles.
Christian Yelich, another NL MVP hopeful, was named the 2019 Hank Aaron Award winner as the most outstanding offensive player, leading some to believe that that award was a precursor to Yelich being named MVP. The Hank Aaron Award is voted on by the players themselves. Yelich led the NL with a .329 batting average and launched 44 long balls. He missed much of September due to injury.
The awards for Gold Glove will be announce November 3rd on ESPN.