Sports writers are running out of superlatives just trying to keep pace with what Cody Bellinger of the Los Angeles Dodgers is doing out on the baseball field this season, almost every night.
His offense leads all of baseball in almost every category. His defense borders on astounding at times. Just ask the Mets’ Carlos Gomez who was gunned down from right field by a pinpoint throw from Bellinger that never even touched the ground. Right on the spot & right on time, out at third base, just a split second before a run could score. Dodger manager Dave Roberts figured the ball traveled some 300 feet in the air and landed in Justin Turner’s glove.
That in itself would make most outfielders’ evening, or week, but Cody Bellinger had already outdone that throw back in the first inning, when Clayton Kershaw was getting a rare first inning pounding, by throwing out Michael Conforto dashing for home and thereby avoiding another run. Once again the throw from right came in on a rope to catcher Russell Martin and hit his glove in perfect position to make the tag, and get the out.
Of course making two incredible defensive plays in one game just wasn’t enough for the likes of Cody Belllinger. He had to go and hit a 440 foot home run in the third inning out to right field, which brought his total up to 19, making Bellinger currently second only to Christian Yelich who has 21 homers for the 2019 season.
Although we are just past the quarter pole in this year’s MLB season, fans at Dodger Stadium are already beginning to chant MVP when Bellinger appears on the field. It’s very early yet, however, if he keeps up a pace anywhere near what he has done so far in the first quarter, the MVP title is in the bag for Cody.
Bellinger is still only 23 years old, so handling all this sudden attention and keeping focused must be very important to him right now. It would be all too easy to let all this go to his head, but Cody seems to be in a good place. He even stepped out to acknowledge the crowd after his towering home run. Later he told the press, “It was cool, I stepped out for a second because it got in my head a little bit”.
As May turns to June Cody Bellinger still leads major league baseball by a comfortable margin in both batting average at .383, and OPS at 1.229.
Some Dodger fans were a bit dismayed when Roberts moved Bellinger from first base, where his extra length and athleticism seemed to have found a home, out to right field to replace the arm of Yasiel Puig. However, as usual, Doc Roberts knew what he was doing. Cody demonstrated that beyond any doubt against the Mets on Monday evening in Chavez Ravine.
