Though he has cooled down a bit in recent weeks, Cody Bellinger continues to turn heads in what has been a historic start to his 2019 season as he’s helped put the Los Angeles Dodgers on a blistering pace.
Through the first two months of the regular season, the 23-year-old leads all of baseball in categories such as batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. To no surprise, he has racked up plenty of accolades for his early showing at the plate.
Bellinger was named National League Player of the Month for April and has shattered numerous MLB records along the way.
He etched his name in the history book after tallying the most hits, RBI and total bases before the calendar turned to May. Bellinger additionally became the first player in MLB history to record a minimum of 45 hits, 14 home runs and 35 RBI during that span.
Despite his ongoing success, Bellinger admitted to not having an ideal feeling at the plate thus far, which he credited Dodgers hitting coaches for helping overcome, via SportsNet LA:
“I haven’t felt great all year. It might look like that but there’s a lot of grinding, a lot of talking with the hitting coaches. They’re great, they help me out so much. It’s not just me out there that’s doing it.”
The Dodgers are fortunate enough to boast one of the most talented Major League coaching staffs in all of baseball. The group currently consists of three hitting coaches.
Robert Van Scoyoc, the Dodgers’ primary hitting coach, has received rave reviews from players across the league and is thriving in his first year with the club. Assistant hitting coach Aaron Bates and hitting strategist Brant Brown offer further insight and help players reach their maximum potential.
While Bellinger has admitted to not feeling right at times this season, he has maintained his health for the most part. The only exception being a minor shoulder injury suffered in early May, when he dislocated his shoulder in a contest against the San Diego Padres. Bellinger missed the ensuing two games of the series due to soreness.
In 58 games this season, Bellinger is hitting an astonishing .376/.462/.733 with 13 doubles, one triple, 20 home runs and 52 RBI over 249 plate appearances. As a result of his contributions on both sides of the ball, he has already accumulated a league-leading 5.4 WAR (Baseball-Reference) through the first two months of play.
