After picking up his first of what figures to be many Rawlings Gold Glove Awards this past Sunday, Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger won his first Louisville Silver Slugger Award for the 2019 season on Thursday afternoon.

The Scottsdale, AZ native and Dodgers fourth-round draft pick in 2013 MLB out of Hamilton High School in Chandler, AZ is the first Dodger to win a Louisville Silver Slugger since Corey Seager won back-to-back awards in 2016 and 2017, and is the first Dodger outfielder to receive the award since Matt Kemp in 2011. With his first honor, Bellinger is the 19th player in franchise history to earn the award since its inception in 1980 and it is the 27th time a Dodger has received a Silver Slugger award. He becomes the fifth player in franchise history to earn the Rawlings Gold Glove and Louisville Silver Slugger in the same season, joining Adrían González (2014), Matt Kemp (2011, 2009), Russell Martin (2007) and Dusty Baker (1981).

In his third season with the Dodgers, the 24-year-old Bellinger appeared in a team-high 156 games, batting .305 (170-for-558) with 34 doubles, 47 home runs, and 115 RBI. He ranked among the NL leaders in batting average (.305 – 9th), OBP (.406 – 3rd), slugging percentage (.629 – 2nd), OPS (1.035 – 3rd), total bases (351 – 1st), home runs (47- 3rd), runs (121- 2nd), RBI (115 – 7th), walks (95 – 6th) and extra-base hits (84 – 2nd).

Bellinger, who is among the National League MVP finalists (along with Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich and Washington Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon), concluded his third major league season with career-highs in runs, hits, doubles, home runs, RBI, walks and stolen bases (15). He finished fourth in the Majors in home runs and third in franchise history with 47 home runs in a season behind only Shawn Green (49) and Adrian Beltre (48). His 26 home runs at Dodger Stadium set a new franchise record for Dodger home runs hit at home. As a left-handed batter, his 18 home runs against left-handed pitchers were the most in the National League.

The Louisville Silver Slugger Award winners are decided by a vote of MLB managers and coaches who select the players they determine to be the best offensive producers at each position in the American and National Leagues. Selections are based on a combination of offensive statistics, including batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage, as well as the managers’ and coaches’ general impressions of a player’s overall offensive value. Managers and coaches are not allowed to vote for players on their own teams. The accounting firm of Mountjoy Chilton Medley LLP verified the tabulation of balloting.

Here is a complete list of the 2019 Louisville Silver Slugger Award winners:

(Article courtesy of LA Dodgers)

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