All-Star Cody Bellinger enjoyed an MVP-caliber 2019 season for the Los Angeles Dodgers with equal contributions on both offense and defense. He was rewarded for the latter on Thursday with a pair of 2019 Fielding Bible Awards.
The 14th edition of the awards were determined by a panel of 12 baseball experts, who rank the top 10 players at each defensive position (including the multi-position players left out of Gold Glove voting) on a scale from 1 to 10. A first-place vote gets 10 points, second place gets nine points, third place gets eight points and so on.
“Once again, our panel has done an outstanding job utilizing all available resources to pick the best defensive players in baseball,” Baseball Info Solutions owner John Dewan said.
“The performance of these players represents a combination of preparation, skill, and athleticism that is highly admirable for its excellence.”
Bellinger earned the first of his 2019 Fielding Bible Awards for his efforts in right field and the other as a result of his “multi-positional excellence.” He is the first Dodgers outfielder to ever take home honors and the first MLB player to win at least two in the same season.
Bellinger logged the bulk of his playing time in right field this season and led all qualified players at the position with a 4.8 Defensive Rating and 19 Defensive Runs Saved.
The 24-year-old additionally saw time at his traditional first base position and enjoyed similar success, registering 4 Defensive Runs Saved while committing just one error in 230 innings.
Bellinger finished the year — including the postseason — serving as the Dodgers’ everyday center fielder. In 170.2 innings at the position, he posted three defensive runs saved and was charged with only one error.
Other 2019 Fielding Bible Award winners include Oakland Athletics first baseman Matt Olson, St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong, Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Nick Ahmed, Athletics third baseman Matt Chapman, Diamondbacks left fielder David Peralta, Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Lorenzo Cain, Cleveland Indians catcher Roberto Perez and Houston Astros pitcher Zack Greinke.
In addition to winning two Fielding Bible Awards, Bellinger is also under consideration for 2019 Gold Glove honors among NL outfielders. He is one of three finalists, along with Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago Cubs’ Jason Heyward.
Bellinger is the Dodgers’ first Gold Glove finalist since Yasiel Puig qualified for right field in 2017. Though, Puig ultimately finished second to Heyward. The Dodgers’ last Gold Glove winner was Greinke, who won in back-to-back years from 2014-15; Adrian Gonzalez also won in 2014.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had long envisioned Bellinger being a Gold-Glove caliber defender, forecasting the possibility at either first base or in the outfield during Spring Training.
