It was Opening Day 2015 for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, the Dodgers Advanced Single-A affiliate in the extremely competitive California League. A tall, lanky 19-year-old kid was on the Quakes roster and in the Opening Day lineup as their first baseman. His name was Cody Bellinger and he immediately drew the attention of those attending the game, including yours truly.

Why, you ask?

Because he was that good, defensively and especially offensively. When this tall, lanky 19-year-old kid hit the ball, it went a very long way.

During my (near) two-hour drive home, I couldn’t help but think to myself – repeatedly – that this Bellinger kid was special. There was zero doubt in my mind, even after seeing him play in only one game, that the Dodgers had a very very good heir-apparent for (then) 33-year-old five-time All-Star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. I had never been surer about anything in my life.

As you might expect, I couldn’t wait to make that long trek back down to Rancho Cucamonga to see this wonder kid again. But when I arrived, (then) Quakes manager (now Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers manager) Bill Haselman had thrown me a curve. Although that tall, lanky 19-year-old Bellinger kid was in the starting lineup, he was in it as the Quakes center fielder.

“What the heck?” I thought. This kid was as good a first baseman as I had ever seen, not just at the minor league level, but at any level. What was Haselman doing?

And then I found out.

Cody James Bellinger, son of former New York Yankees utility infielder/outfielder Clay Bellinger, was every bit as good an outfielder as he was a first baseman.

During that historic 2015 season in which the Quakes would go on to win the 2015 Cal League Championship over the San Jose Giants, Bellinger played 91 games at first base, 26 games in center field and one game in left field. Interestingly enough, he did not play a single game as the Quakes right fielder.

Over the next two seasons, Bellinger continued to soar at both Double-A Tulsa and at Triple-A OKC. He made his major league debut with the Dodgers on April 25, 2017 and has never looked back, and, as a surprise to no one, he was named the 2017 National League Rookie of the Year.

During that epic 2017 season, Bellinger played in 142 games – 93 as the Dodgers first baseman, 39 as their left fielder, five in right field, four in center field and once as the team’s designated hitter during interleague play. He played them all exceptionally well, posting a combined .993 fielding percentage.

Special indeed.

Over the next two seasons, including the just-concluded 2019 season, Bellinger began seeing more time in the outfield than he did at first base – 263 to 239. Interestingly (but not surprisingly) he was named to the 2017 National League All-Star team as a first baseman and to the 2019 NL All-Star team as a right fielder.

Special indeed.

On Thursday morning and once again as a surprise to no one, Bellinger was named as a finalist for the 2019 Rawlings Glove Glove Award for right fielders, along with Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Bryce Harper and Chicago Cubs right fielder Jason Heyward.

During the 2019 season, Bellinger played 102 games in right field, 28 at first base and 21 in center field. As the Dodgers right fielder, he made only two errors in his 911 1/3 innings at the position and tied New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge for the most defensive runs saved at the position (19) in all of baseball. He also ranked second among all NL right fielders with a 9.5 ultimate zone rating and 10 outfield assists. Keep in mind that he also played 230 innings at first base and 170 2/3 innings in center field.

Prior to the start of the (ill-fated) 2019 National League Division Series against the Washington Nationals, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was asked if he thought his star right fielder/center fielder/first baseman was worthy of the frequent chants of “M-V-P” by Dodger fans during the latter part of the season.

“I do think Cody should win the National League MVP,” Roberts answered without hesitation. “That encompasses in the batter’s box, the runs scored, the runs driven in, the homers, the impact that he has. Defensively, he’s going to win the Gold Glove in right field this year – could have won it at first base or in center field. The versatility he provides is very valuable.”

The annual Rawlings Gold Glove Awards highlight the best individual fielding performances at each defensive position in each league. Since its inception in 1957, 42 Dodgers have won a Gold Glove, including 13 multiple-year winners. Former Dodgers first baseman Wes Parker won the most with six and former first baseman Steve Garvey four.

Past Dodgers Gold Glove Winners

The 2019 Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners will be announced during a one-hour show on ESPN on November 3, 2019 at 4 p.m. PT. Winners are determined by voting from among the managers and coaches in each league, as well as statistics.

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