At this time last year, Cody Bellinger looked like a gamer finished. The outfielder, then playing for the Dodgers, was unable to produce offensively and his only value was on defense.
It was very far from the Bellinger who had hit 47 homers and won the MVP title in the 2019 season.
In the end, the Dodgers decided not to submit a qualifying offer to him, so Bellinger went to continue his career with the Chicago Cubs.
And obviously, the change of air has transformed Bellinger. Without having become a great hitter again, his hitting line (.320/.366/.549) shows that he has once again become a leading player on the offensive level.
However, it becomes even more impressive when you look at what he has accomplished since the break from the All-Star Game. In 46 games since, he has a .346/.379/.620 batting line and has hit 13 long balls.
But it is especially at the level of the points produced that he excels. In fact, during that time, he’s amassed 52 (he’s produced another since the Tweet that follows), which puts him in first place on the circuit.
And when I say he’s No. 1, he’s not just a bit: his closest pursuer, Kyle Tucker, has produced 42 since the All-Star break.
Bellinger’s lead is really considerable.
When you look at all of this, it’s no surprise that the Cubs are in the thick of the playoff race in the Nationals. Bellinger is by far the club’s best hitter, and single-handedly pulls the lineup up.
You also have to give some credit to the guys getting on the bases for allowing him to produce those runs, but the fact remains that Bellinger does the heavy lifting.
Bellinger, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, is in the process of buying one of the biggest contracts on the free agency market. I have the curious impression that this winter, he won’t have to settle for a simple one-year pact.
And you know what? With the Cubs having good financial means, it seems to me that it would be a good idea for the club to keep him for the long term. But clearly, they will have to fight, because it will not be the interested teams who will miss.
