Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star Cody Bellinger had a career season in 2019, coupling offensive dominance with defensive prowess to earn his first career National League MVP Award.
Bellinger won his first Gold Glove in right field while also batting .305/.406/.629 with 47 home runs, 121 runs scored and 115 RBI in 156 games.
The Dodgers fell short of their ultimate goal of winning the World Series though, so Bellinger was among the players heading into the 2020 season with a chip on his shoulder. He went just 4-for-19 (.211 batting average) against the Washington Nationals in the NL Division Series when the Dodgers lost in five games.
Bellinger and L.A. seemed poised to get back to the World Series in 2020 as the organization added another MVP to their outfield in Mookie Betts. But the sport has not yet gotten to see what that duo can do together, because of the season being put on hold due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
As the country continues to navigate the virus and its challenges, Major League Baseball is discussing a number of different options to move forward with a 2020 season. Bellinger commented on a potential season in an interview on SportsNet LA, saying he will do whatever it takes to play:
“I’m down for whatever. That’s my mentality as long as we get to go out and play. I’ve been hearing rumors just like you, so I think we’re all just waiting on the final word on what’s going on. I’m sure they’re having talks every day. As long as we’re playing, I’ll be all right.”
One of the plans that MLB has discussed is a number of teams playing the season at Spring Training complexes in Arizona, with some also playing in Florida and even potentially Texas.
Bellinger grew up in Chandler, Ariz., so he is well aware of how hot it gets there during the summer and is willing to play in the heat if that’s what it takes:
“I mean, it’s not the most ideal situation, but it’s better than not playing any games.”
One other proposal from MLB includes teams playing in their home stadiums without fans in attendance, which would be much more ideal from a weather standpoint. It’s currently unclear how feasible that is due to travel though, so only time will tell if that is a realistic option of not.
Either way, it seems that Bellinger and the Dodgers are prepared for whatever comes their way in 2020 and will be ready to take the field whenever asked.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events and more!
