In a mild surprise, Cody Bellinger was among the Los Angeles Dodgers named to the National League roster for the 2017 All-Star Game. As of this moment he’ll be joined in Miami by teammates Kenley Jansen, Clayton Kershaw and Corey Seager.
The group of Dodgers’ representatives could grow, if Justin Turner maintains his lead in the Final Vote, and Alex Wood earns a spot on the NL roster as a replacement.
Bellinger is the Dodgers’ third straight rookie named to the All-Star Game, and their first position player to in franchise history to reach the Midsummer Classic in his first season in the Majors.
“It’s an awesome moment for me and my family,” Bellinger said of the All-Star selection. “I’ve said it before when I was called up, I didn’t really know what to expect. I’m just enjoying the moment and trying to ride it out.”
The 21-year-old will also participate in the Home Run Derby, which takes place at Marlins Park the night before the All-Star Game. Bellinger is the Dodgers’ fourth consecutive representative in the Derby.
Despite not making his MLB debut until April 25, Bellinger leads the Dodgers this season with 24 home runs and 56 RBI. In addition to providing a spark and shouldering quite the offensive load, Bellinger’s ability to play the outfield and first base has aided the Dodgers in the wake of multiple injuries.
His list of accolades this season include twice being named NL Rookie of the Month, the most recent of which came for June, when Bellinger batted .286/.361/.743 with nine doubles, 13 home runs, 13 walks, a .436 wOBA, 175 wRC+ and four stolen bases to boot, in 28 games (27 starts).
“What he’s been able to do in such a short amount of time has been impressive,” Kershaw said. “We all knew he had the talent but to put it together that fast is pretty impressive.”
