The 2019 season did not end how the Los Angeles Dodgers had hoped, but Cody Bellinger has been rewarded for an outstanding year, with his latest honor being the National League MVP Award. Bellinger added it to a trophy cases that already included a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger.
He joined Johnny Bench, Fred Lynn and Dustin Pedroia as the only players in MLB history to win Rookie of the Year, Gold Glove and MVP Award before turning 25 years old. Bellinger is the first Dodgers player to win a Gold Glove, Silver Slugger and MVP in the same season.
He additionally became the youngest MVP in franchise history and is part of a select group that also includes Jackie Robinson and Don Newcombe as Dodgers to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in their career.
Bellinger winning NL MVP earned him congratulatory messages from teammates Kiké Hernandez, Clayton Kershaw and Gavin Lux, and Joe Davis, Emily Osment, Danny Trejo, Brad Paisley and several others, which the Dodgers compiled in a video:
To our MVP. pic.twitter.com/ChHR9SsqNF
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) November 15, 2019
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said in a statement, “On behalf of our ownership and the entire Dodger organization, I want to congratulate Cody on this special award. From the moment the 2018 season ended, he was a man on a mission to better understand his swing and to become a more complete hitter.
“The results of that work are being rewarded in the ultimate way. His name will forever be etched in franchise history alongside the distinguished list of Dodger greats. This is a special day for Cody Bellinger, his family and the Dodgers.”
Ron Cey, who won the 1974 NL MVP Award, added: “Cody’s season showcased a complete player who excelled on offense and defense, while leading his team to a record-setting regular season. The award establishes you in an elite fraternity as those chosen as the best player. It stays with you a lifetime and there’s only one winner in each league every season. I’m extremely proud of Cody.”
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