Dodgers future Hall of Fame utility infielder/outfielder Mookie Betts has won the 2023 multi-position Fielding Bible Award.

It is the sixth such award for the 31-year-old Nashville, TN native and fifth-round draft pick in 2011 by the Boston Red Sox out of Overton High School in Nashville but first as the multi-position recipient, with his previous five as a right fielder (2016-’20, 2022).

Betts is now tied with Andrelton Simmons and Yadier Molina with six Fielding Bible Awards, which are the most since the award was introduced in 2006. He received 15 of 16 first-place votes for the multi-position award, playing 107 games at right field, 70 games at second base, and 16 games at shortstop. He finished the campaign with a 1.000 fielding percentage in right field, recording eight outfield assists and three Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) while recording a .991 fielding percentage at second base with six DRS and 33 double plays with a .935 fielding percentage from the shortstop position. He finished tied for 15th in DRS at the right field position and tied for eight in DRS at second base and was the only player in 2023 to record a positive DRS at both an infield position and an outfield position while playing at least 400 innings at each spot.

The Fielding Bible Awards are determined by a 16-voter expert panel. The panel awards a Defensive Player of the Year, along with one winner at each position, plus a multi-position player, which prioritizes players who have a high degree of positional versatility and value and demonstrate the ability to handle high-leverage positions when the team needs them to. The complete list of 2023 winners can be found at fieldingbible.com.

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(Article Courtesy of LA Dodgers)

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