If it wasn’t for the foursome of Ronald Acuna Jr., Matt Olson, Freddie Freeman, and Mookie Betts, Chicago Cubs slugger Cody Bellinger would probably be a frontrunner for the NL MVP award.
He came on a one-year, “prove it” deal that also contains a mutual option for 2024, and all he has done is exceed expectations.
While luck has been on his side on batted balls (he owns a career-high .333 batting average on balls in play), it’s also true that he has made adjustments in areas that were problematic in the past.
“Cubs sweep the Giants, winning 8-2 today. Cody Bellinger continues his rebirth with another HR: He has 10 HR off breaking balls this season. He had 9 in the previous 3 seasons combined. The Cubs are within 1.5 games of first place Milwaukee,” Cubs insider Jesse Rogers tweeted.
Cubs sweep the Giants, winning 8-2 today.
Cody Bellinger continues his rebirth with another HR: He has 10 HR off breaking balls this season. He had 9 in the previous 3 seasons combined.
The Cubs are within 1.5 games of first place Milwaukee.
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) September 6, 2023
Bellinger struggled from 2020-22: that’s not a secret to anybody.
He often had problems hitting high fastballs over those years, but power on breaking balls was also an issue.
Seeing him hit 10 homers off breaking balls in 2023 tells us how much he has advanced in that area considering he had nine in the previous three seasons (2020-22) combined.
Bellinger has been the Cubs’ most important player as they look to return to the postseason.
He is slashing a cool .321/.365/.555 with a .920 OPS, 24 home runs, and 86 RBI.
He has also scored 84 runs and has chipped in 19 stolen bases, while playing good defense at first base and center field.
The Cubs are inching closer to the first-place Brewers, and it’s in large part because of Bellinger.
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Justin Steele Continues To Thrive With Another Elite Outing
