The Los Angeles Sports Council named L.A. Dodgers All-Star Cody Bellinger and L.A. Angels center fielder Mike Trout as 2019 Sportsmen of the Year. UCLA softball pitcher Rachel Garcia, who led the Bruins to a national championship, was named 2019 Sportswoman of the
Year.
The trio will be honored at the 15th annual L.A. Sports Awards, on Thursday, Feb. 20, at The Beverly Hilton. The star-studded event will be taped and air at a later date on FOX Sports West/Prime Ticket.
The acclaimed L.A. Sports Awards were created by the Los Angeles Sports Council in 2005 to commemorate the greatest sports moments of the year in the Los Angeles/Orange County
area and to honor those individuals whose performances were exemplary.
Bellinger certainly falls into that category after a season in which he batted .305/.406/.629 with 34 doubles, 47 home runs and 115 RBI. He set career highs in doubles, home runs, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging and on-base plus slugging.
Bellinger was named to a second career All-Star Game, voted National League MVP, and also won a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Award. He became the first player in Dodgers franchise history to win all three in a single season.
That presumably played a role in Bellinger breaking Kris Bryant’s record for salary as a first-year arbitration player. While he played multiple positions and finished last season in center field, Bellinger was ranked a top-10 right fielder for 2020.
He previously was honored by the L.A. Sports Council when a record-setting Rookie of the Year campaign also saw Bellinger being named 2017 Sportsman of the Year. Last March, Max Muncy’s walk-off home run in the 2018 World Series was voted second by the Los Angeles Sports Council’s Media Panel for ‘Best Moment’ at their annual awards.
Trout also had an impressive season as he was named to an eighth consecutive All-Star Game and voted American League MVP for a third time, among other accolades. Trout finished with 104 RBI and slugged a career-best 45 home runs despite his season ending early because of foot surgery.
Southern California swept the MVP Awards for only a second time, with the first coming in 2014 when Clayton Kershaw and Trout took home the hardware.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in our live shows, and more!