Cody Bellinger has not looked like the Cody Bellinger we all fell in love with once he broke into the league in 2017. The former NL Rookie of the Year and 2019 MVP has been nothing close to that since 2020. Injuries and his lack of being able to change his stance at the plate are one of the reasons for his downfall.
But his significant drop in numbers is mind-boggling coming from a former MVP and Silver Slugger award winner.
Maybe it’s something more, and we may never know.
USC alum and MLB slugger Mark McGwire joined the Petros and Money show and shared his thoughts on Bellinger’s struggles and what he can do to improve.
“He has to embrace the failure,” McGwire said. “He can’t run from it. He can’t think ‘oh I did okay,’ no you didn’t. He’s such a great athlete, seeing what he did in 2019 winning the MVP, he started having a downside in the second half of 2019 and he hasn’t recovered since then. He strikeouts way too much.”
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Cody’s OPB, Slugging, and OPS over the past three seasons have been abysmal, to say the least. In 2020, he slashed .239/.333/.455 with a .788 OPS. In 2021 (his worst season as a big leaguer), he slashed .165/.240/.302 with a .542 OPS, which was by far the worst among everyday players. And in 2022, he slashed .210/.265/.389 with a .654 OPS and played a minimal role in the postseason.
As McGwire mentions, the strikeouts are just too much; a ratio of 150 K’s to 38 walks is unacceptable from any major leaguer, let alone a former MVP.
The glove for Belli is there, and he is one of the best defensive outfielders in the league, but the bat has been non-existent.
The Dodgers will decide whether or not they will tender Bellinger a contract in 2023. He is under team control for the 2023 season but would become a free agent if Los Angeles does not tender him a contract.
Would you like to see Belli back in Dodger blue, regardless of his recent performance?
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