Golden honor

Red Sox OF Mookie Betts takes home Gold Glove award

BOSTON — Boston Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts earned a 2019 American League Rawlings Gold Glove Award for right field on Sunday night, his fourth consecutive year earning the award. The 2019 honorees were announced tonight on ESPN.

Betts joins Nolan Arenado and Zack Greinke as the only major leaguers to win a Gold Glove Award in each of the last four years (2016-19).

Betts is only the fifth Red Sox player since the award’s 1957 inception to be recognized as many as four times, joining second baseman Dustin Pedroia (4) and outfielders Dwight Evans (8), Carl Yastrzemski (7), and Fred Lynn (4). Betts and Evans (1981-85) are the only Red Sox ever to win a Gold Glove Award in as many as four consecutive seasons.

Betts—who turned 27 years old on October 7—is the only player in team history to win as many as four Gold Glove Awards at the age of 27 or younger.

In 132 games (126 starts) in right field and 17 games (16 starts) in center field, Betts recorded 10 assists and was charged with only two errors in 2019. According to FanGraphs, he led American League outfielders with 15 defensive runs saved and ranked second with a 12.6 ultimate zone rating. On September 23 at Tropicana Field, Betts threw out Avisaíl García at third base in the sixth inning with a throw that traveled an estimated 305 feet in the air. In the past four seasons (2016-19), his 37 outfield assists rank second in the AL behind only teammate Jackie Bradley Jr. (38). During that same four-year span, Betts’ 98 defensive runs saved lead the majors at all positions.