Major League Baseball announced the finalists for the 2020 All-MLB Team, led by four Los Angeles Dodgers nominees in Mookie Betts, Clayton Kershaw, Corey Seager and Justin Turner.
Similar to last season, the All-MLB Team will be split into a First Team and Second Team, each with one catcher, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, shortstop and designated hitter, three outfielders, five starting pitchers and two relievers.
Betts is among a group of nine finalists in the outfield grouping that also includes Ronald Acuña Jr., Michael Conforto, Bryce Harper, Eloy Jiménez, Juan Soto, George Springer, Mike Trout and Mike Yastrzemski.
The 28-year-old exceeded lofty expectations in his first season with the Dodgers en route to a second-place finish in National League MVP voting.
Betts was instrumental in helping L.A. end their World Series drought, hitting an overall .296 with eight doubles, two home runs, eight RBI, 15 runs scored and six stolen bases across 18 postseason games.
Kershaw is part of a group of 12 finalists at starting pitcher. He’s joined by Trevor Bauer, Shane Bieber, Gerrit Cole, Yu Darvish, Jacob deGrom, Max Fried, Dallas Keuchel, Dinelson Lamet, Kenta Maeda, Aaron Nola and Hyun-Jin Ryu.
The left-hander finished ninth in NL Cy Young Award voting and went on to shine in the playoffs as well, accumulating a 4-1 record with a 2.93 ERA and 0.91 WHIP across 30.2 innings.
Seager is one of the three finalists at shortstop, along with Fernando Tatis Jr. and Trea Turner. He hit .307/.358/.585 with 15 home runs, 38 runs scored and 41 RBI in 52 games, reestablishing himself as one of the premier players at his position.
Seager elevated his game to another level in the postseason, earning NL Championship Series MVP and World Series MVP honors.
Turner is one of three finalists at third base, joining with Manny Machado and Jose Ramírez. He hit .307/.400/.460 with four home runs and 23 RBI in what could have been his final season with the Dodgers.
Turner is now a free agent and has garnered early interest from the Toronto Blue Jays. However, bringing him back is said to be a priority for the Dodgers, who not only remains a solid contributor on the field, but an important presence in the clubhouse.
This is the second annual selection of the All-MLB Team, which recognizes the top players from the regular season. Winners will be announced on Wednesday, Dec. 7, on MLB Network.
The process started in early November and gave fans the opportunity to vote once every 24 hours until 2 p.m. on Nov. 13. The vote was split down the middle by fans and a panel of experts.
Players selected to the 2019 All-MLB Team with Dodgers ties
Last year, Cody Bellinger was a First Team selection, while former Dodgers starter Ryu earned Second Team honors. Betts was also a member of the Second Team in his final season with the Boston Red Sox.
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