Half of Fielding Bible Award winners are first-timers

The Fielding Bible Awards, which are regarded as the next highest defensive honor after the Gold Glove Awards, were announced on Monday, with half of the winners taking home hardware for the first time.

The awards are given to the best defensive player at each position and are determined with a heavy emphasis on statistical analysis. Developed by John Dewan and Bill James, and voted on by a 12-expert panel, the Fielding Bible Awards suggest themselves to be more difficult to win than a Gold Glove Award because only one is given at each position. They also give one award for the best multi-position player each year, which began being delegated in 2014. Position players are eligible if they played at least 600 innings, while catchers require a minimum of 500 innings. Either can qualify with 10 Defensive Runs Saved, as well. Pitchers require a minimum of 120 innings pitched or five DRS.

The voting process is determined by a point scale from one to 10, similar to the MVP Award voting process, with a first-place vote receiving 10 points, second place receiving nine and so on. The player with the most vote points at his position receives the award. The ballots are published in the Bill James Handbook annually, the latest of which releases on Thursday.

Here are the 2019 Fielding Bible Award winners:

Pitcher: Zack Greinke, D-backs
Catcher: Jeff Mathis, D-backs
First base: Matt Olson, A's
Second base: Kolten Wong, Cardinals
Third base: Matt Chapman, A's
Shortstop: Andrelton Simmons, Angels
Left field: Alex Gordon, Royals
Center field: Lorenzo Cain, Brewers
Right field: Mookie Betts, Red Sox
Multi-position: Javier Báez, Cubs
The Gold Glove Award winners for each league will be announced on Sunday.