Dodgers: Cody Bellinger Not Only Posting Eye-Popping Offensive Stats

Clint Pasillas06/07/2019

1 1 minute read

Cody Bellinger, the National League leader for the MVP award has been electric with the bat, this we know. However, his glove has been just as impressive.

#Dodgers Cody Bellinger is currently on pace for 53 home runs and 48 defensive runs saved.

Let’s say he falls short of those two, because I believe he will.

If he puts up a 40 HR, 30 DRS season, he’d join Ken Griffey Jr (1996) as the only two to ever do that.

— Connor Looker (@HotStoveStats) June 7, 2019

“Defensive stats are always a hairy topic,” as the Hot Stove Stats Twitter account went on to point out, but to be on pace for 48 DRS (defensive runs saved) to go along with his 53 HR pace is no small feat.

The 23 year-old Bellinger is essentially playing outfield exclusively for the first time in his professional career. In the minors, he appeared in 64 games in the outfield — only 29 starts. Moreover, of those 64 games, only 9 games were in right field.

So far this season Bellinger has found name in the same sentence as Babe Ruth, Mike Trout, and now Ken Griffey Jr. Those three hall of famers (I know what I wrote) combined to hit 1,600 home runs (so far). Griffey chipped in 10 gold gloves.

To say what Bellinger is doing is impressive would be quite an understatement.

Entering play on Friday night, he’s batting .370 with 20 home runs in 60 games. Enjoy it.