Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Cody Bellinger burst onto the scene in 2017, as many did not expect him to make his Major League debut until September. Instead, he joined the team in April and went on to be named the unanimous National League Rookie of the Year.
In 132 games for the Dodgers, Bellinger hit .267/.352/.581 with an NL rookie-record 39 home runs, to go along with 97 RBIs and 87 runs scored. The 39 homers were the most among all first basemen.
Moreover, Bellinger hit 24 home runs in his first 57 career games, becoming the fastest player to in MLB history to reach that milestone.
At just 22 years of age, Bellinger knows that he still has plenty of muscle to add to his slim 6’4 frame. It appears that has been a focus of his this offseason, as according to Alanna Rizzo of Spectrum SportsNet LA, he showed up to Dodger Stadium weighing 15 pounds more than he did as a rookie:
.@Cody_Bellinger is at Dodger Stadium working out. He’s gained 15 pounds since the World Series. Good weight & told us he’s taking his conditioning, very seriously,
— Alanna Rizzo (@alannarizzo) January 11, 2018
Bellinger adding muscle may be cause concern for the rest of the league, as he already said at the end of last season that he would like to hit even more home runs in 2018.
Part of his weight and strength gain could be attributed to the partnership he signed with the sports nutrition company MET-Rx last season. “I’m glad I did it, they really helped me take training and nutrition to the next level,” Bellinger told DodgerBlue.com at the time.
“In the pursuit of a championship and beyond, I’m determined to take my performance, on and off the field, to the next level.”
Bellinger’s game goes way beyond home runsm though, as he has the ability to play all three outfield positions and even stole 10 bases in 13 attempts last year. So he will look to continue that strong all-around production in 2018 while also taking his power numbers to the next level.
