Cody Bellinger had one of the most polarizing seasons in 2021. What can we expect in 2022 from the former NL MVP and Rookie of the Year?
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Cody Bellinger burst into the scene in 2017. It was truly a meteoric rise even for someone coming from a team in Los Angeles. He ended up winning the Rookie of the Year that year hitting .267/.352/.581 with 39 home runs.
It probably wasn’t the smartest move to hit in the Home Run Derby in 2017 but it didn’t seem like it affected his performance too much.
Cody Bellinger is a true workhorse
Cody Bellinger then followed up that performance by playing in ALL 162 games in 2018. A really incredible stat in today’s game. His average and on-base percentage stayed roughly the same but his power definitely took a hit. He finished that season with 25 home runs.
In 2019, he truly found his stride, topping that of his historic rookie season. He hit for career bests in basically every hitting category. Cody Bellinger hit a staggering 47 home runs, 115 RBIs, .305 average and .406 on-base percentage.
What happened to Cody Bellinger in 2021?
Then everything started going downhill in 2020. He didn’t ever look comfortable at the plate but who really did in 2020? The issue is that it got even worse in 2021. Cody Bellinger hit 10 home runs, 36 RBIs and hit for a .165 average over the course of 95 games.
He did deal with injuries but it doesn’t appear to be a health issue. Even the best players have rough patches but it’s been two years (one and a half seasons) in which he hasn’t been able to figure it out.
Why not take some time off?
There is no doubt that he can figure it out and the Dodgers need to give him that chance. In 2021, the should have rested him a bit more, considering how many games they had won. It did not matter if they were trying to keep up with the Giants, his struggles should have taken precedence.
The closest thing that you can get to a reset in baseball is taking a couple days off. Bellinger was trying anything possible to help his hitting, even changing his stance. But that didn’t really help out his hitting.
His stellar 2021 postseason performance helps get over 2021 regular season
The great thing is that he found his stride in the 2021 postseason. He hit for a .352 average in 34 at-bats, including the series winner against the Giants and a winning home-run against the Braves.
The terrible part about that is that it was at the end of the season. It’s going to be hard to carry that momentum over in 2022. It’s Cody Bellinger though, it’s only a matter of time.
