While the Los Angeles Dodgers collectively won the World Series, individuals have begun to earn recognition for their contributions. The latest of which being Mookie Betts and Kiké Hernandez each taking home a 2020 Fielding Bible Award for their stellar defensive play.
Betts received his for right field and Hernandez fittingly earned the multi-positional award. Betts additionally is nominated for a Gold Glove, along with Cody Bellinger, who also won Fielding Bible Awards in 2019 for right field and his multi-positional excellence.
This was the 15th year a panel of 12 baseball experts ranked the top five players at each defensive position on a scale of one to five, and an accompanying award for multi-position players who are omitted from Gold Glove consideration.
“It is important to us that we continue to present the Fielding Bible Awards, even after this pandemic-shortened season,” Baseball Info Solutions owner John Dewan said. “I’m very pleased with the work that our panel put in covering games and evaluating the metrics, and I’m confident that the winners of our 15th annual awards are the best of 2020.”
A first-place vote is worth five points, second place is good for four points, third place gets three points, and so on. A perfect score is 60 points.
Betts’ four Fielding Bible Awards moved him past Ichiro Suzuki and Jason Heyward for most ever won by a right fielder. This season, Betts led the National League with 11 defensive runs saved — second only to Joey Gallo (12) for most in baseball.
It marked a sixth consecutive season (first in center field, then five consecutive in right) that Betts finished with at least 10 runs saved. Betts also led the Majors in the range and positioning aspect of runs saved in right field, rating above average at getting outs on balls hit to both the shallowest and deepest parts of the outfield.
Betts memorably had highlight-reel catches during the NL Championship Series, including robbing Freddie Freeman of a home run.
Hernandez made starts at second base, third base, shortstop and all three outfield positions this past season; he additionally played two games at first base. Hernandez’s nine defensive runs saved at second base, where he primarily played, led the Majors.
“Kiké, in my opinion, is the best second baseman in baseball,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said during the NLCS.
2020 Fielding Bible Award winners
P: Max Fried, Braves
C: Roberto Perez, Indians
Multi-position: Kiké Hernandez, Dodgers
1B: Matt Olson, Athletics
2B: Kolten Wong, Cardinals
SS: Javier Baez, Cubs
3B: Nolan Arenado, Rockies
LF: Tyler O’Neill, Cardinals
CF: Kevin Kiermaier, Rays
RF: Mookie Betts, Dodgers
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