As many fans expected, Los Angeles Dodgers’ outfielder Cody Bellinger has been named the 2019 Rawlings National League Gold Glove award winner for right field.
The individual awards for every position in each league were announced Sunday evening on the MLB Network.
Bellinger is the first Dodger to win a Gold Glove since Zack Greinke in 2015 and the first Dodger outfielder to win the award since Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp both won in 2011. He joins Ethier (2011), Kemp (2011), Steve Finley (2004), Raul Mondesi (1995, 1997), Dusty Baker (1981), Willie Davis (1971-1973) and Wally Moon (1960) as the only Dodgers’ outfielders to receive the award since its inception in 1957.
“I’m not going to lie, it’s pretty cool to me. I’ve always wanted the gold logo on my glove,” Bellinger told Bill Plunkett of the OC Register after being named winner. “I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was really happy about this.”
In his third season with the Dodgers, the 24-year-old Bellinger led all National League right fielders with a .990 fielding percentage, making just two errors in 210 chances. He was among the National League right field leaders in innings played (911.1, 7th), assists (10, 2nd), Ultimate Zone Rating (9.5, 2nd), range runs or RngR (5.6, 2nd), Ultimate Zone Rating per 150 games (15.3, 1st) and Defensive Runs Saved (19, 1st).
For the year, he was among all NL outfield leaders in assists (10, T-4th), fielding percentage (.988, 11th), RngR (6.2, 5th), UZR (10.3, 2nd), UZR/150 (13.7, 2nd) and innings played (1082.0, 16th). Among all NL outfielders, he finished tied for second in the majors with San Diego’s Hunter Renfroe in defensive runs saved by an outfielder (22), finishing just behind Washington’s Victor Robles (24).
Over the course of the entire 2019 season, Bellinger appeared in 115 games in right field, 25 games in center field and 36 games at first base.
To determine winners of the Gold Glove award, each manager and up to six coaches on his staff vote from a pool of qualified players in their league and cannot vote for players on their own team. In 2013, Rawlings added a sabermetric component to the award selection process, as part of its collaboration with the society for American Baseball Research (SABR). The SABR Defensive Index comprises approximately 25 percent of the overall selection total, with the managers and coaches; vote to carry the majority.
To be eligible for the award, position players must have played in the field for at least 713 total innings through his team’s 142nd game—this equates to playing in the field for approximately 7.5 innings per game in approximately 67% of his team’s games by his team’s 142nd game.
Position players with at least 713 total innings played qualify at the specific position where he played the most innings.
Qualified pitchers must have pitched in at least 142 innings by his team’s 142nd game.
Qualified catchers must have played in at least half of his team’s games by his team’s 142nd game.
2019 American League Winners
- 1B Matt Olson (Oakland Athletics) 2x Winner
- 2B Yolmer Sanchez (Chicago White Sox) 1x Winner
- SS Francisco Lindor (Cleveland Indians) 2x Winner
- 3B Matt Chapman (Oakland Athletics) 2x Winner
- LF Alex Gordon (Kansas City Royals) 7x Winner
- CF Kevin Kiermaier (Tampa Bay Rays) 3x Winner
- RF Mookie Betts (Boston Red Sox) 4x Winner
- C Roberto Perez (Cleveland Indians) 1x Winner
- P Mike Leake (Seattle Mariners/Arizona Diamondbacks) 1x Winner
2019 National League Winners
- 1B Anthony Rizzo (Chicago Cubs) 3x Winner
- 2B Kolten Wong (St. Louis Cardinals) 1x Winner
- SS Nick Ahmed (Arizona Diamondbacks) 2x Winner
- 3B Nolan Arenado (Colorado Rockies) 7x Winner
- LF David Peralta (Arizona Diamondbacks) 1x Winner
- CF Lorenzo Cain (Milwaukee Brewers) 1x Winner
- RF Cody Bellinger (Los Angeles Dodgers) 1x Winner
- C J.T Realmuto (Philadelphia Phillies) 1x Winner
- P Zack Greinke (Arizona Diamondbacks/Houston Astros) 6x Winner
(Juan Dorado provided some information furnished in this report)