Since winning the National League MVP Award in 2019, Cody Bellinger has experimented with different batting stances over the past two seasons.
When he appeared in his first Spring Training game for the Los Angeles Dodgers last year, the 26-year-old debuted a more open approach, which was in stark contrast from previous seasons. When explaining the decision to change his batting stance, Bellinger said it was merely from a desire to find the positioning he is most comfort and confident in.
Now two offseasons removed from shoulder surgery, Bellinger has continued to tinker with his swing mechanics. He entered this spring with his hands lower and more in front.
However, Bellinger has now reverted to his older and more familiar hand position, which he attributed to feeling stronger, via Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
#Dodgers Cody Bellinger changed his swing mechanics again today, going back to holding his bat flat near his shoulder after starting the spring with his hands lower and more in front. "Just trying to find my feels," he said. 1/2
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) March 22, 2022
Said he went back to the more familiar hand position because he is feeling strong again (after shoulder surgery) and "group effort" with hitting coaches, looking at video feedback on his barrel angle before contact
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) March 22, 2022
Bellinger is coming off a down 2021 season as he battled through multiple injuries, including a fractured left fibula, hamstring trouble and non-displaced fracture in his left ribs.
Bellinger now believes he is in a much better place and hopes it translates to success. “I feel very good. I feel stronger,” he recently said.
“I feel like the ball is jumping off the bat more so than it did last year. I’m feeling good. It’s going to be fun and good to get out there, get going again, get your feet wet and get this thing going.”
Bellinger hopes to learn from struggles
After struggling for most of the 2021 season, Bellinger managed to right the ship in October as he hit .353/.436/.471 with one double, one home run and seven RBI across 12 playoff games.
Bellinger was encouraged by the turnaround and believes he can learn from his early struggles. “Towards the end I really dialed in what made my good and why I’m good. Just try to go from there and keep learning and adjusting,” he said.
“It was a grind last year, to say the least. But it’s in the past. Like I’ve said, it’s been a huge learning curve the past few years. As I’m hitting in batting practice right now, I feel good, I feel strong, feel compact. I focused a lot on my shoulder, a lot on stabilizing my body and getting it strong. I’m feeling good.”
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