Cody Bellinger
The Cubs struck gold with Bellinger's bounce-back campaign in 2024, but his career arc remains one of baseball's most puzzling riddles. After exploding onto the scene with back-to-back Rookie of the Year honors and that monster 2019 MVP season, he cratered so dramatically in Los Angeles that the Dodgers non-tendered him rather than pay arbitration wages.
Chicago's gamble paid off handsomely as Bellinger rediscovered his swing, posting numbers that reminded everyone why he once seemed destined for Cooperstown. His career 110 OPS+ tells the story of a player who's been genuinely excellent when healthy and locked in, but maddeningly inconsistent year to year.
The key question heading into 2025: can he sustain this resurgence, or will the player who hit .165 in 2022 resurface? At 31, with 225 career homers already banked, Bellinger still has time to cement a strong legacy if he can find the consistency that's eluded him.
| Date | AB | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 12 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .254 |
| Jul 11 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .250 |
| Jul 10 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .250 |
| Jul 9 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .247 |
| Jul 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .245 |
| Jul 7 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .248 |
| Jul 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .248 |
| Jul 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .251 |
| Jul 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .251 |
| Jul 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .252 |
Career · Batting
10 seasons| Year | Team | G | AB | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | — | 132 | 480 | 39 | 97 | — | — | — |
| 2018 | — | 162 | 557 | 25 | 76 | — | — | — |
| 2019 | — | 156 | 558 | 47 | 115 | — | 1.035 | — |
| 2020 | — | 56 | 213 | 12 | 30 | — | — | — |
| 2021 | — | 95 | 315 | 10 | 36 | — | — | — |
| 2022 | — | 144 | 504 | 19 | 68 | — | — | — |
| 2023 | — | 130 | 499 | 26 | 97 | — | — | — |
| 2024 | — | 130 | 516 | 18 | 78 | — | — | — |
| 2025 | — | 152 | 588 | 29 | 98 | — | — | — |
| 2026 | — | 94 | 347 | 11 | 51 | — | — | — |
| Career | 1251 | 4577 | 236 | 746 | — | — | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.