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Dodgers: Cody Bellinger’s Adjusted Swing Already Looks Promising to Dave Roberts

Dodgers fans will take any minor adjustment from Cody Bellinger at this point. All across th internet, fans have chimed in on what they believe the problem is with the former NL MVP winner. Some suggestions make sense, like getting his timing and his step down. And some are a little more odd, like suggesting he cut his hair

But at the end of the day, we all just wanted the best version of Cody Bellinger that we can get. The Dodgers obviously want that too as they continue to work with him on his swing. On Saturday evening against the Padres, Cody debuted a new look. 



Bellinger stepped into the box looking a little more compact and with his bat more upright. The results weren’t necessarily there, but he looked good in his overall approach. Dave Roberts spoke after the game about how the swing changed and what he expects. 

Just to kind of simplify and make it more efficient, and this is something that he just started with the hitting guys yesterday. So I think it was a good step in the right direction. I thought his at-bat quality was good, even the fielder choice to leg out the play to extend the inning was huge. 

Bellinger needed to change something in the middle of an awful hitless streak. And on Sunday, we saw signs of life with the adjusted swing as he had a double and a walk. That’s really all the Dodgers can ask for right now. 

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Chances are that a few minor changes aren’t going to unlock an MVP-level swing for Bellinger. But if the Dodgers can get even a sliver of the production he is capable of, they’re going to be in a good spot heading into October. 

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32 Comments

  1. ” even the fielder choice to leg out the play to extend the inning was huge”

    Huge? Really.

    Before his one hit today he was 0-19 for the last 7 days.

    Sure glad he’s now contributing with ‘fielder choices”.

  2. His swing does look much better, but it was the Padres bull pen. He still needs to work on it a while. But he could go on another 2 for 50 run and Roberts would start him anyways.

    1. He could stand on his head in the batters box and Dave Roberts would say he looked good!

  3. is 1-2 & a walk OK?

    the answer is no, because at this point, nothing short of hitting .400 w/10 HRs the rest of the way out will do for some folks.

  4. What a totally amazing story! Going 0 for September up until today! Hark! Batting .158 and swinging at a ball that bounced in front of the plate 2 days ago,..the 2 batting guys came up with an idea to change Bellringer’s stance, and tinker with his swing and what do ya know…in 1 day they found the answer to his problems and Doc say that he can start CF for the rest of the year and beyond. Unbelievable! Look out Giants ….Bellis back in town!

  5. For quite some time many on this Board were asking why not make adjustment in Bellinger’s set up and swing mechanics – I noticed Saturday that Bellinger was holding his bat more upright and less flat (parallel to ground) yesterday I think Orel commented that his stance was a bit wider -yesterday with new set up he had a walk, a hard line drive out to left center field and a line drive double to right field – Don’t know why it took so long to try something different but I guess we can say “better late than never”

    1. Agee with all that you say here Lidodger, he wasn’t swinging so viscously and maintaining balance. I also noticed the bat he was swinging, looked a lot like J Turners. I don’t whose bat it was, doesn’t matter, he clearly looked better and that can be nothing but positive going forward.

  6. Yeah and if he goes 3-63 the rest of the way, he’ll be “oh so close and hitting into a little bit of bad luck.”

    1. Tim, is there a rule that the writers on this site HAVE to come up with the Dave Roberts quote of the hour? Dave roberts says Jiff peanut butter rocks! Dave roberts says max Sherzer is the BOMB. Dave roberts thinks he knows Blah blah blah… But we NEVER saw one headline “DAVE ROBERTS Starts the most inept lineup in the history of the league, which costs the Dodgers the division title, while his best bench players rot in the minors”!!! Truly incredible how his complete disaster decisions are never mentioned by the press.. Don’t know about anyone else , but the coddling of Roberts is laughable at this point…

      1. Kirk, you are so right on with your comments. The writers must NOT be allowed to say anything TRUTHFUL about Roberts inability to manage, so sad .

          1. Kirk, we do know as anyone who’s followed the team this year that Roberts is a FAR CRY from being a top manager in the game. Look at games he simply has given away this year as a result of his lineups, in game managing and how he’s handle the pitching on many occasion. That is why again we should hope for the DH to return in NL next year. Many of his decision and moves won’t have to be made, as was the case in 2020.

      2. The coddling of Dave Roberts…..you got it! Dave Roberts says this and Roberts says that. I don’t know how many of us actually read these articles in their entirety or at all, but I would think that all that is really needed are the headlines, and the die hards can fill in the rest. At this point, just as in the years before, how many really care about what Dave Roberts actually says? It’s what Dave Roberts actually does that has everyone’s neck turning.

  7. Bellinger needs to play against all right handed pitching.Period. His swing is now compact,short to the ball and he’s letting pitches get deeper in the hitting zone. He’s more selective and not chasing as much but it’s still a work in progress. He still wants to chase the letter high fastball but discipline will come.His speed and defense need to be in the line up. The home runs will eventually come but this swing, if he sticks with it, will be the key to his playing every day.

  8. “Cody Bellinger’s Adjusted Swing Already Looks Promising to Dave Roberts.” NEVER put the words “promising” and “Dave Roberts” together, that is just looking for disaster. If you add “Bellinger” to those 2 words, you have a cancer.

    1. I agree. Dave Roberts needs to be traded. What do you think we can get for him? A few cases of Coke for the pop machine?

  9. One game does not make a season. We will see. I’m sure this will give Roberts a reason to play him every day. It’s too bad it took him 140+ games to get his head out of his *** before he changes something even tho Roberts keeps saying he is working so hard.

    1. Yep-one game is not proving anything. Roberts could just be using this. Note that when Cody was not in the lineup last time the Dodger’s offense was crushing it (8-0)! Coincidence?

  10. Bellinger needs a lesson geometry.
    His golf swing means his bat head is in the zone for about half the time as a guy who swings more level, meaning he either misses more or pops up or into the ground in front of the plate. A level swing offers a much better chance of hitting the ball hard somewhere. The defense can’t be everywhere.

  11. I’ve never liked that upright stance. Sure he won an MVP but pitchers figured out where the holes were in his swing and have made the adjustment. It’s well past time for him to adjust. I’m tired of the shoulder excuse. If his shoulder is not right he shouldn’t be playing no matter how good his defense is.

  12. Cody has got to understand that when u are swinging the bat the head must stay as still as possible. Watch EVERY good hitter EVER and this becomes obvious. The brain must be able to gather as much info on the flite of the ball (in a zillionth of a second) to make decent contact and cannot if u are moving the head. Cody’s head has been dropping 2 feet every swing since 2020. If u watch his 2019 season his head only sank about 6 inches as he was rocking it- but when occasionally slumped he dropped it the 2 feet he has now been doing. Last game he made better contact and I noticed his head was was only dropping the 6 inches so I hope he is starting to change back. C’mon Cody!!

  13. It’s largely about a swing that is broken (too long, too golf-like, etc etc) and an approach that is long ball oriented. Ok, mechanics in general and long ball happy. Basically everyone who watches him can see what he is doing wrong. He could hit 330 if he wanted to but he doesn’t and the club isn’t demanding the right things from him offensively.
    If he comes in next spring with a long looping swing starting from an exaggerated upright stance with his feet close together, just leave him in Arizona when the season starts and field offers for him.
    Dave says in the article about his modifications: “It’s something he just started yesterday”. Huh??? Anyone else find that absurd on so many levels?

  14. first, what took so long? Dodgers wait 5.5 months to suggest a change to Belli’s swing or stance? really? I have been suggesting for 5 months that Belli keep his hands higher, don’t drop the barrel, and don’t lunge or collapse his stance. his stance adjustment just takes care of the last item. Belli needs to be forced to hit the other way — beat the shift, and hit inside the ball. pulling the ball into the shift is useless, no matter how hard he hits grounders. but dropping his hands and the barrel makes him miss high fastballs constantly, or at best pop up.

    1. Even when he apparently makes solid contact, the ball doesn’t even make it to the warning track. Again, I believe it is adhesions caused by scars from the healing of his shoulder surgery that need to be broken free. It keeps him from swinging hard (only my opinion).

  15. Cody’s swing definately looked much better last night. I think watching Trea Turner has helped. Wishing Cody all the best the rest of the way.

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