Dodger outfielder Mookie Betts has been named 2020 National League Gold Glove Award winner for right field, winning his first Rawlings Gold Glove in the National League and his fifth straight Rawlings Gold Glove (2016-2020).

The 28-year old Nashville native and fifth-round draft pick in 2011 by the Boston Red Sox makes it two consecutive seasons that a Dodger right fielder has won the award, joining Cody Bellinger who captured the prize last season.

Betts is the ninth Dodger outfielder to win a Gold Glove, joining Bellinger (2019), Andre Ethier (2011), Matt Kemp (2011), Steve Finley (2004), Raul Mondesi (1995, 1997), Dusty Baker (1981), Willie Davis (1971-1973) and Wally Moon (1960).

In his first season with the Dodgers, Betts, finished second in the National League with 52 games in right field, while recording a .966 fielding percentage with four errors. He was among the National League right field leaders in innings played (438.2 – second), assists (1 – tied for seventh), Ultimate Zone Rating (6.0 – first), range runs or RngR (6.0 – first), Ultimate Zone Rating per 150 games (15.9 – first), and Defensive Runs Saved (11 – first).

Betts becomes the 30th outfielder in MLB history to win five or more Rawlings Gold Gloves and the first to win five straight since Ichiro Suzuki (2000-2010). Since 2016, Betts has played 636 games in the outfield, recording a .991 fielding percentage with 38 assists and 13 errors in 5597.0 innings. During that five-year span, he ranks among the Major League outfield leaders in innings played (second), assists (fourth), fielding percentage (12th), Ultimate Zone Rating (77.7 – first), range runs or RngR (47.9 – first), Ultimate Zone Rating per 150 games (18.3 – first), and Defensive Runs Saved (104 – first). His 104 runs saved are the most by any player in MLB in that five-year span, 11 more than Andrelton Simmons and 48 more than Lorenzo Cain.

Due to the compressed 2020 MLB season, the Rawlings Gold Glove Award qualifications were amended to rely solely on the SABR Defensive Index (SDI) this year. The SDI draws on and aggregates two types of existing defensive metrics: those derived from batted ball location-based data and those collected from play-by-play accounts, including data from MLBAM’s Statcast, Sports Information Solutions, and STATS, LLC.

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(Article courtesy of LA Dodgers)

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