When the Los Angeles Dodgers traded Yasiel Puig to the Cincinnati Reds last offseason, they turned to Cody Bellinger to take over everyday right field duties.
The decision ended up being a good one as not only was Bellinger one of the best offensive right fielders in baseball, but he was also near the top of the list on the defensive side of the ball. He tied for the MLB lead among right fielders with 19 Defensive Runs Saved and was rewarded for his success by winning his first career Gold Glove Award.
Bellinger had a number of highlights plays in the outfield in 2019, throwing out 10 different baserunners from right field. One of those throws stood out to him more than the rest when he accepted his Gold Glove Award.
Bellinger chose his laser to third base against the New York Mets for a double play during a May game at Dodger Stadium as his favorite of the year, via ESPN:
“I would say it was the throw against New York, in right field. I just remember getting the fly ball, there was one out, I kind of scooted back on it a little late and I knew the angle to home plate was not as good as the angle to third base. I saw the throw to third a lot clearer. That was just my decision to go to third, I threw it as hard as I could, J.T. had to put the tag on really quick and it turned out to be a pretty good play.”
Bellinger had already thrown out Michael Conforto at home to save a run and homered off Jacob deGrom earlier in the game, but his second throw was really the eye-opening one that helped the Dodgers earn the victory.
They held a slim 8-5 lead in the eighth inning, so manager Dave Roberts went to closer Kenley Jansen for a five-out save. Jansen inherited a bases-loaded jam and the first batter he faced, J.D. Davis hit a fly ball that was pretty deep in right field.
Bellinger settled under it and realized that he would not get the runner at home, so he instead fired a strike on a fly to third base. Justin Turner applied the tag to get Carlos Gomez, completing the inning-ending double play before the runner attempting to tag could cross home plate.
That was unquestionably Bellinger’s most impressive defensive play of the season, which is saying something considering how many of those plays he made throughout the course of the year.
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