NL MVP race has several contenders, but one stands above the rest
By Kyle Cardoza
Cody Bellinger
He’s a phenom, a slugger and the leader in the Rookie of the Year conversation. But the 21-year-old first baseman that’s taken MLB by surprise might not stop there.
An All-Star in his first year, Cody Bellinger boasts insane numbers for a guy who missed essentially the first month of the season. So far, he owns a .274/.350/.620 slash line in 358 at-bats – he has fewer at-bats than 51 other NL players, just for context.
But what’s gathered fans’ attention are Bellinger’s bombs, as he sits in second in the NL in home runs. He is just one away from tying the Dodgers’ rookie record for homers, and he still has more than a month to accomplish that.
His fielding skills aren’t too shabby either. He split time in the outfield prior to Adrian Gonzalez’s injury – I don’t think fans are complaining – but has thrived at first base, accumulating four defensive runs saved.
Clearly, Bellinger will claim the Rookie of the Year award, unless he gets hurt within the next few days. Even then, he could still make his case, as his only competition comes from a few Rockies pitchers and Pirates first baseman Josh Bell.
In terms of his MVP chances, though, it doesn’t look as likely. While he may continue to smack home runs, he probably won’t catch up to the other contenders in WAR. He currently ranks 17th in the NL in the category.
Bellinger will remain a crucial piece of the Los Angeles team as it attempts to return to the World Series for the first time since 1989. It should be fun to watch the young up-and-coming star under the lights in October.