Bellinger signs with Cubs, Dodgers land Syndergaard
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Bellinger also had a tying, three-run homer against Atlanta in Game 3 of the NL Championship Series. On December 23, Bellinger signed a $17 million contract with the Dodgers, avoiding salary arbitration. In 2022, Bellinger had the lowest on base percentage of all qualified hitters in the majors at .265, he also had a .210 batting average with 19 home runs and 68 RBIs and struck out 150 times in 504 at bats.
His prospect performance started to gain attention when, by June 11, he was fifth in the California League with 12 home runs, and was at least three years younger than every other top-five hitter. Although his .557 slugging percentage was comparatively low, this was due in part to the shape of the Rancho Cucamonga Epicenter, which limited home runs. After making an appearance at the midseason California League All-Star Game, Bellinger was also the selected designated hitter for the California League postseason All-Star team. Following the regular minor league season, he helped the Quakes to a Cal League championship title, registering three extra-base hits, including the game-winning home run, to complete their sweep of the San Jose Giants. For his performance, Bellinger was named the California League Championship Series MVP. He batted .264 for the Quakes, recording 30 home runs, 103 RBIs, and 97 runs in 478 at bats.
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He played in only three games for Oklahoma City that season, recording three home runs and six RBIs in the process. Having missed a month of the season with his injured hip, Bellinger played for the Glendale Desert Dogs of the Arizona Fall League, earning All-Fall League team honors. In 20 games with Glendale, Bellinger hit .314 with three home runs, eight doubles, and 17 RBIs, and he was named a member of the AFL Top Prospects Team.
He was dealt to the Philadelphia Phillies at the trade deadline last season and will now return to Southern California. Minter was two days removed from a brilliant Game 5 performance, in which the Braves asked him for one inning and he gave them three. But the left-hander was noticeably less sharp from the outset in Game 7, missing above the strike zone with each of his first three pitches. The home runs culminated a series of scratching and clawing from the Dodgers in general -- and particularly from Hernández and Bellinger, who both went yard on the eighth pitches of their at-bats.
Regular Season
Bellinger’s wish was Chicago’s command as Cody got what he was looking for by way of a one-year $17.5 million pact. The Cubs finalized their one-year deal with center fielder Cody Bellinger on Wednesday, officially bringing the former Dodger to the North Side. Bellinger, 27, was named the National League's Most Valuable Player in 2019 and was part of the World Series-winning 2020 Dodgers team but struggled at the plate the last two seasons amid injury issues.
He hit the first home run of the season, a two-run shot off of Rich Hill of the Giants to spur the Dodgers to a 9–0 victory and end Bellinger's opening 0-for-11 skid. He accomplished the feat in 136 games, making him the third-fastest MLB player to reach 40 career home runs. Bellinger was unable to sustain his rookie momentum through the start of June, however, and when manager Dave Roberts benched him on June 3, there were questions that Bellinger would be optioned back to the minors. Bellinger, meanwhile, used the benching to make a small adjustment to his stance in the batter's box, and he proceeded to record six hits in his next 13 at-bats, including home runs in four consecutive games. He played in all 162 regular-season games that year, batting .260 with 25 home runs and 76 RBIs in 557 at bats.
season stats
So when he crossed home plate late Sunday evening and saw Kiké Hernández waiting for him, Bellinger jumped into the air and smashed his teammate’s forearm with his own. April 25, 2017 Los Angeles Dodgers selected the contract of 1B Cody Bellinger from Oklahoma City Dodgers. August 22, 2017 Los Angeles Dodgers placed 1B Cody Bellinger on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to August 20, 2017.
In the Wild Card Game against the St. Louis Cardinals, he reached base three times and stole twice. In Game 2 of the NLDS match against division rivals the San Francisco Giants, Bellinger's two-RBI double provided the go-ahead runs for an ultimate 9–2 rout of San Francisco. In Game 3 of the NLCS, the Dodgers were down 5–2 against the Atlanta Braves when Bellinger hit a three-run home run in the eighth inning. After Bellinger tied the game and cleared the bases, a single and stolen base from Chris Taylor, followed by an RBI double from Mookie Betts, helped the Dodgers win the game 6–5.
His 13th home run of the season came on April 27, breaking Matt Kemp's record for the most single-season home runs of any Dodger through the end of April. The home run also lifted Bellinger to 88 total bases by the end of April, three more than Chase Utley's 2008 record and the most of any batter in the live-ball era. His 97 total bases, 37 RBIs, and 47 hits before May 1 were all MLB records, while his 32 runs scored and 14 home runs tied existing records. Batting .431 in 132 plate appearances, Bellinger received his first Player of the Month honors for April 2019. While facing the Miami Marlins on July 15, Bellinger became the first Dodgers rookie in history to hit for the cycle, going 4-for-5 with a home run, three RBIs, and two runs. With his 35th home run of the year on September 2, Bellinger tied Mike Piazza's Dodgers rookie record; he broke Piazza's record the following day with a ninth-inning shot off of Padres closer Brad Hand.
That was a theme of the week for Los Angeles hitters, who consistently drove up pitch counts and forced Braves manager Brian Snitker to empty his bullpen. Outside of Bellinger, the Cubs reached a four-year deal with starter Jameson Taillon last week. A flurry of their other offseason targets have come off the board, though they remain linked to shortstop Dansby Swanson. “That talent is still there,” Cubs general manager Carter Hawkins said of Bellinger at the Winter Meetings. “Obviously as you look at our lineup next year and where some of the opportunities are to add a bat or to add a defender, center field is certainly one of the spots. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only.
The Dodgers were the first team to clinch a playoff berth in the 2020 season, developing a commanding lead over the NL West by September 16. They finished at the top of their division and went on to sweep the Brewers at the 2020 National League Wild Card Series. From there, the Dodgers faced the Padres in the 2020 NLDS, where Bellinger's defensive play in Game 2 allowed Los Angeles to hang onto their 4–3 lead and take the game. In the seventh inning, with Grisham on second base, Bellinger made a jumping catch to rob Fernando Tatis Jr. of a two-run home run. The 2020 NLCS started with the Dodgers down 3–1 in four games, but they were able to mount a comeback and push the series to seven games. Bellinger scored the go-ahead home run in that final game, clinching the Dodgers' place in the 2020 World Series.
Bellinger, originally much weaker while batting than fielding, became a power hitter after making a change to his batting stance during the 2014–15 offseason. Working with Shawn Wooten and Damon Mashore, Bellinger incorporated a small hand and wrist movement into his "load phase", which prepared him to make strong contact with the ball. These changes, coupled with showing greater discretion in choosing when to swing, helped Bellinger make contact more frequently and with greater power during his MVP season. During the regular season, Bellinger didn't perform up to his standards of 2019, when he won the NL MVP award, but he's flipped a switch in October. The Dodgers were still tied with the Braves when Bellinger came to the plate an inning later against Martin, who was pitching for the fifth time in seven days.
Roberts knew Minter was likely to appear later in the game, and Hernández was ready for him, fouling off multiple two-strike pitches until the hard-throwing lefty made a mistake by throwing a 97 mph fastball right down the middle. Both this year have come against the Padres, with the first occurring at Petco Park on April 24. The Los Angeles Dodgers swept the San Diego Padres with a 4-0 win in front of a national audience for ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. Tyler Anderson went seven scoreless innings and Cody Bellinger helped lead the offense with two home runs. The Chicago Cubs and former free-agent center fielder Cody Bellinger put the final touches on a deal that was first reported last week. Bellinger had been looking for a one-year deal to reset his value after being non-tendered by the Los Angeles Dodgers last month.
He was also the third Dodger since 1913 to be intentionally walked in his MLB debut, following Chico Fernández in 1956 and Dick Nen in 1963. His first career grand slam came the following week on May 6, helping take the Dodgers to a 10–2 victory over the San Diego Padres and Bellinger to five home runs and 14 RBIs in his first 11 major league games. In his first 11 games back, he struck out 14 times while recording only one extra-base hit. While his defense remained sharp in center field, by July 23, Bellinger was batting under .200 both at home and on the road. He admitted in August that his poor batting was due to lingering pain and weakness from both the shoulder and leg injuries, and Bellinger's batting grew stronger as he continued to exercise the affected areas. At the end of the month, Roberts made the decision to relegate Bellinger to a platoon role in the outfield, starting A.
He had just hit a go-ahead home run in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series, becoming the ninth player in Major League history to accomplish that feat in the seventh inning or later of a Game 7. Tyler Anderson led the way Sunday with seven shutout innings, and San Diego mustered just four runs during the series. Freeman then collected his second RBI base hit of the game before García could get through the inning. The Cubs aren’t really expected to compete in 2023, but that doesn’t mean Bellinger can’t use next season to springboard to a big contract in 2024 with a good showing. FanDuel Sportsbook has Chicago in the bottom half of the league with long +7000 odds to win next season’s World Series. The two-time All-Star is still just 27 years old and could be an intriguing reclamation project bound for a big bounceback year with the new scenery in Chicago.
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