Mookie Betts’ transformation to major league shortstop has been a remarkable feat after a decade of stellar defense in right field. On Wednesday, Betts was announced as one of the top three vote-getters among National League shortstops for a Gold Glove Award.
The Gold Glove Award at shortstop in the NL will go to one of Betts, Masyn Wynn of the St. Louis Cardinals, and Nick Allen of the Atlanta Braves.
Miguel Rojas is the other Dodgers fielder up for a Gold Glove Award, among the top three NL as a utility
player, a catch-all category that accounts for players who play multiple positions. Other NL utility player Gold Glove possibilities are Marlins infielder/outfielder Javier Sanoja and Pirates infielder Jared Triolo, who won the 2024 utility Gold Glove Award.
Betts won six Gold Glove Awards for his work in right field, and in 2023 was among the top three in voting at both right field and as a utility player, as he split time between second base, right field, and shortstop.
This year, Betts led National League shortstops with 17 Defensive Runs Saved and a 12 Total Zone Rating. By Fielding Run Value at Baseball Savant, Wynn (+17) and Allen (+12) were tops in the NL with Betts at +3. Same for Outs Above Average, with Wynn (+21) first and Allen (+17) second, and Betts at +5.
Gold Glove Awards are decided by a mix of major league managers and coaches voting accounting for 75 percent, and the other quarter is an amalgam of defensive statistics combined into one number, known as the SABR Defensive Index, or SDI. In the latest publicly available numbers released, on August 10, Betts was third at the position with 5.1 SDI, with Allen and Wynn tied at the top at 6.4.
Rojas, a lifelong shortstop, saw more time around the infield this season, starting 49 games at second base and 23 times at third base in addition to his 10 starts at shortstop. He rated as +7 Outs Above Average at second base, -1 at third base, and league average at shortstop.
The Gold Glove Award winners will be announced on Sunday, November 2 on ESPN.
