The Los Angeles Dodgers began the 2019 MLB season in impressive fashion, slugging an Opening Day record eight home runs in a thrashing of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The team went on to become first to 20 wins, and their success has largely been predicated on Cody Bellinger and his incredible pace.
What began as a hot stretch grew into a record-breaking month of play. Bellinger was named National League Player of the Week for March 31-April 7, and certainly had an argument for last week’s games to join Milwaukee Brewers right fielder Christian Yelich as a two-time winner this season.
Bellinger entered Wednesday pacing the Majors in runs scored (32), hits (47), RBI (37), batting average (.431), on-base percentage (.508), slugging (.890), on-base plus slugging (1.397), OPS+ (264), total bases (97), wOBA (.554) and wRC+ (256). His 14 home runs are tied with Yelich for the MLB lead.
Moreover, Bellinger and Yelich joined Albert Pujols (2006) and Alex Rodriguez (2007) as the only players in MLB history with 14 home runs before the month of May.
While that was a benchmark Bellinger finished tied for, he broke multiple MLB and Dodgers franchise marks for games played in April and March.
He finished as the only player in the game’s history to record a minimum of 45 hits, 14 home runs and 35 RBI. Bellinger’s 47 hits surpassed Alfonso Soriano’s record (46 in 2003) for most before May 1. His 37 RBI surpassed the record Mark McGwire set prior to that same date when he had 36 in 1998.
Bellinger’s RBI total also set a Dodgers franchise record for most before May, eclipsing Ron Cey’s 29 RBI during April of the 1977 season. The Dodgers record for hits in March/April also now belongs to Bellinger, as he passed Rafael Furcal (43).
Bellinger additionally shattered the MLB record for total bases before May with 97. The mark was previously held by former teammate Chase Utley, who had 85 bases with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008.
Bryce Harper and Bellinger now share the MLB record for most runs before May, and the Dodgers’ young slugger also joined Eddie Mathews and Alex Rodriguez as the only players with six home runs and 16 RBI through the first eight games of a season.
Bellinger’s play has thoroughly impressed Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and teammates, and put him in the thick of the NL MVP conversation. He would be the team’s second MVP winner in the past five years, joining Clayton Kershaw (2014).
