2019 Position Series: Right field
by Rowan Kavner
(Editor’s Note: Throughout the offseason, Dodger Insider will recap each position group from the 2019 season. The series continues in right field.)
Previous Editions:
Catcher
Third Base
Shortstop
Second Base
First Base
Left Field
Center Field
OVERVIEW
In his first season as the Dodgers’ primary right fielder, all Cody Bellinger did was earn a Gold Glove Award at the position while also taking home MVP and Silver Slugger honors.
Bellinger played 911 1/3 innings in right field — the 12th most of any player in the Major Leagues last year — and led all players at his position with 19 defensive runs saved. He would have logged significantly more innings at the spot had he not transitioned to center field for nearly all of September.
No other Dodger played more than 300 innings last season in right field, but Alex Verdugo and Joc Pederson each saw more than 150 innings at the position. With Bellinger also getting time at first base early in the year, Verdugo made 10 starts in right field by the end of April. Once Bellinger became the full-time center fielder, Pederson ended the year seeing the majority of his time in right field.
Sparked by Bellinger’s career year (.305/.406/.629 with 47 home runs), the Dodgers paced the league in nearly every offensive category in right field.
PLAYING BREAKDOWN
- Cody Bellinger (88 starts, 115 appearances, 911 1/3 innings)
- Joc Pederson (30 starts, 39 appearances, 259 innings)
- Alex Verdugo (16 starts, 25 appearances, 152 innings)
- Kiké Hernández (7 starts, 17 appearances, 66 innings)
- Kristopher Negrón (3 starts, 6 appearances, 21 1/3 innings)
- Chris Taylor (3 starts, 3 appearances, 16 innings)
- Kyle Garlick (0 starts, 5 appearances, 10 innings)
- Matt Beaty (1 start, 2 appearances, 10 innings)
TEAM STATS (RF)
(Note: The following stats are accumulated for players who played that position at the time of the at-bat. For example, only Cody Bellinger’s stats while playing right field are included, rather than Bellinger’s overall stats for the year. Most stats are via FanGraphs, unless otherwise stated.)
AVG: .300 (3rd in MLB)
OBP: .393 (3rd)
SLG: .616 (1st)
OPS: 1.009 (1st)
HR: 51 (1st)
R: 115 (5th)
RBI: 125 (1st)
wOBA (Weighted On-Base Average): .407 (1st)
wRC+ (Weighted Runs Created Plus): 157 (1st)
K%: 16.5 (3rd)
BB%: 12.8 (4th)
BASERUNNING (RF)
SB: 9 (T-13th)
CS: 5 (T-22nd)
rBR (Baserunning Runs via Baseball Ref): 1 (T-7th)
TOP THREE (BY PLAYING TIME)
· Cody Bellinger
Regular Season
Overall (661 PA) — .305/.406/.629, 47 HR, 121 R, 115 RBI, 15 SB, 162 wRC+, 7.8 fWAR, 9.0 bWAR
As RF (453 PA) — .310/.415/.648, 35 HR, 78 R, 80 RBI, 8 SB
Fielding, As RF — 2 E, .990 FP, 19 DRS, 15.3 UZR/150
Postseason — .211/.286/.263, 0 HR, 2 R, 0 RBI, 3 SB
· Joc Pederson
Regular Season
Overall (514 PA) — .249/.339/.538, 36 HR, 83 R, 74 RBI, 1 SB, 127 wRC+, 3.0 fWAR, 3.3 bWAR
As RF (128 PA) — .272/.344/.632, 12 HR, 23 R, 23 RBI, 0 SB
Fielding, As RF — 1 E, .981 FP, 5 DRS, 6.1 UZR/150
Postseason — .267/.353/.600, 1 HR, 3 R, 1 RBI
· Alex Verdugo
Regular Season
Overall (377 PA) — .294/.342/.475, 12 HR, 43 R, 44 RBI, 4 SB, 114 wRC+, 2.2 fWAR, 3.1 bWAR
As RF (68 PA) — .306/.368/.484, 2 HR, 6 R, 12 RBI
Fielding, As RF — 1 E, .977 FP, 4 DRS, -6.4 UZR/150
HIGHLIGHT MOMENTS
· In what would end up an MVP race between Bellinger and Christian Yelich the rest of the year, Bellinger made his mark early with this robbery of a Yelich deep drive in the eighth inning of a 5–2 game on April 21. When the Brewers stormed back to tie, it was Bellinger who came through with a game-winning homer in the ninth.
· It wasn’t just the glove that made Bellinger a sensational right fielder. He showed off his cannon of an arm on multiple occasions, none more evident than when he threw out Carlos Gomez tagging from second base with the potential tying run at first in the eighth inning of a May 27 victory.
· Few plays can rival the fun of throwing a throwing a runner out at first base from the outfield. Bellinger’s effort in doing so in the sixth inning on May 12, preventing a Stephen Strasburg single, preserved what was at the time a Hyun-Jin Ryu no-hitter. Ryu ended up allowing his only hit in the eighth inning.
LOOKING FORWARD
The Dodgers will be in a similar spot in the outfield in 2020, with Bellinger, Pederson, Verdugo, A.J. Pollock, Taylor and Hernández all returning.
The majority of those options can play all three outfield spots, so the biggest question will be how the Dodgers decide to divvy up the playing time among their versatile athletes. The health of Verdugo’s back could play an important role in how the playing time shakes out, whether or not Bellinger sticks in center field and where each of the Dodger outfielders will be primarily aligned.
