Watch: Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger blasts a home run against the Chicago White Sox
In a game against the Chicago White Sox earlier today, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger hit an absolute bomb of a home run. The Dodgers were up 2-0 against Chicago in the second inning when Bellinger hit a blast off longtime MLB veteran Johnny Cueto.
Belli Bash https://t.co/PDLIOQS1gG
"Belli Bash" - MLB
The ball went 375 feet and had an exit velocity of 97.2 mph. Although those are not crazy numbers, something about the way Bellinger hits a home run is majestic. This is great for Bellinger, as he has had a pretty slow start at the plate so far for the Dodgers this season.
In recent years, Cody Bellinger has not looked the same at the plate as he did during his epic 2019 MLB season, which saw him take home the National League MVP award. He has had an interesting career, with both highs and lows.
The ups and downs of Cody Bellinger's MLB career
When Bellinger entered the MLB in 2017, he took the league by storm, hitting 39 home runs and having a .933 OPS. These numbers ultimately led him to win the 2017 National League Rookie of the Year Award. He then fell into somewhat of a sophomore slump in 2018. While still producing solid numbers, they were not as good as his rookie year.
Then in 2019, Bellinger had by far his best season in the MLB. He had a .305 batting average, a 1.035 OPS, and a whopping 47 home runs, winning the 2019 National League MVP award.
"This is what you dream of."
Cody Bellinger got emotional after winning his first MVP. (via @MLB)
https://t.co/6afdlbaOQB
"'This is what you dream of' Cody Bellinger got emotional after winning his first MVP." - ESPN
However, Bellinger's career has only gone down since his magical 2019 MVP year. Since then, he has not looked the same, posting only a .198 batting average and a .650 OPS over the past three seasons. He has also been injury prone, playing only in 95 games in the 2021 season. In those games, Bellinger posted a horrendus .150 batting average with just a .542 OPS.
Things are not looking too hot for Bellinger this season either. Even though he hit a home run today, he is still hitting just .208 on the year. Hopefully, he can use this to spark something up this season.
Cody Bellinger hits a homerun & the Dodgers are winning their game 3-0 against the White Sox in today’s game Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! https://t.co/6jvLBhRHlj
"Cody Bellinger hits a homerun & the Dodgers are winning thier game 3-0 against the White Sox in today's game Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" - Bonez
Although Cody Bellinger's career has been shaky since his MVP year, he is still only 27 years old and has a long time to figure it out. Some of the best players in history were late bloomers, and the Dodgers should not count him out yet.