It was not long ago that Cody Bellinger appeared to be on the way to superstardom. The Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman/outfielder was a two time All Star, NL Rookie of the Year, Gold Glove winner, and NL MVP before his age 24 season. The sky was the limit for him.
Until it wasn’t. Bellinger had a decent enough 2020 season before completely falling apart in 2021. He looked more like his father, Clay Bellinger, than a former All Star, producing a .165/.240/.302 batting line in his 350 plate appearances, hitting ten homers and nine doubles. His season was a complete disaster.
Los Angeles Dodgers need to worry about Cody Bellinger
There were extenuating circumstances with Bellinger last season. His recovery from shoulder surgery was not as smooth as hoped for. He also had a fractured fibula, hamstring woes, and a fractured rib. Bellinger’s production at the plate was not the only thing painful about the season.
The hope was Bellinger would return to form now that he is healthy. That has not been the case at all in spring training, as he has just three singles in 23 plate appearances, drawing a walk and striking out 15 times. He has been constantly tinkering with his batting stance, with former teammate Joe Kelly saying that Bellinger’s setup looks different every time he is in the batter’s box.
Bellinger is clearly lost at the plate. He is still looking overmatched, no matter how close he may think he is. He is chasing himself in every plate appearance, attempting to be the player he was just a few short years ago, the player that the Dodgers are still paying for.
And this needs to start being a concern. Manager Dave Roberts had begun to platoon Bellinger before injuries to other outfielders ended those plans. It is possible that those plans could be revisited once the regular season begins, at least until he finds his way at the plate once again. That is, if he ever finds his way.
Cody Bellinger still looks as lost as ever at the plate. While spring training stats do not matter, it is time for the Los Angeles Dodgers to worry.