Bellinger earns first Fielding Bible Award in left, third overall

Major League Baseball’s defensive prizes for 2026 went to a group of specialists and standouts at every position, with Cody Bellinger capturing left field for the first time and also adding another trophy to his Fielding Bible resume.

By The Apex Times Newsroom2 min readAI-assisted Apex article

Cody Bellinger’s defensive season was recognized with the 2026 Fielding Bible Award for left field, giving the Yankees outfielder his first Fielding Bible honor at that position. The award is presented annually as MLB’s top defender at each of nine fielding positions.

The Fielding Bible Awards also named a separate Player of the Year, a multi-position winner, a Defensive Player of the Year, and a Team of the Year, reflecting both positional excellence and overall run-prevention contributions. The winners were announced Thursday as the 21st year of the program, which is voted on by a panel of experts using a mix of statistical measures and evaluation.

Bellinger’s left-field selection came after a return to the honors stage, with the release noting he previously won in right field and the multi-position category in 2019. In 2026, his 21 defensive runs saved (DRS) in left tied for third in the majors.

The rest of the 2026 positional winners included Dillon Dingler at catcher, Matt Olson at first base, Brice Turang at second base, Alex Bregman at third base, Taylor Walls at shortstop, Ceddanne Rafaela at center field, and Wilyer Abreu at right field. Tanner Bibee was named the pitcher winner, and Zach McKinstry won in the multi-position category.

Chicago’s Cubs also appeared prominently in the overall team picture, as Pete Crow-Armstrong won Player of the Year while the Cubs were selected as Team of the Year after finishing the regular season with 115 DRS, 28 more than any other club. In a separate mention of voting mechanics at center field, Rafaela won the center-field award via a DRS tiebreaker over Pete Crow-Armstrong, while Crow-Armstrong still received the Player of the Year votes.

Why It Matters

Bellinger’s left-field award underscores how valuable his defensive run-prevention profile was in 2026, even as he shifts the spotlight to a position he had not previously won in.
The Fielding Bible format highlights positional specialists, which can influence how teams weigh defensive alignment and outfield/infielder usage during roster planning.
With the Cubs also winning Team of the Year, the awards reinforce a league-wide contrast between clubs based on defensive impact rather than only offensive outcomes.
The close center-field vote described in the release illustrates how narrowly defensive metrics can split first-place consideration, affecting which players receive positional hardware versus overall honors.

Sources

Key Facts

Cody Bellinger won the 2026 Fielding Bible Award for left field for his first honor at that position.
The award is one top defender per position plus additional categories, including multi-position, Defensive Player of the Year, Player of the Year, and Team of the Year.
Bellinger totaled 21 defensive runs saved in 2026 in left field, tied for third most in MLB.
Other positional winners included Dillon Dingler (catcher), Matt Olson (first base), Brice Turang (second base), Alex Bregman (third base), Taylor Walls (shortstop), Ceddanne Rafaela (center field), and Wilyer Abreu (right field).
Pete Crow-Armstrong won Player of the Year, while the Cubs were named Team of the Year after a league-leading 115 defensive runs saved.