Cody Bellinger had a historic first two months in 2019. It was arguably the best stretch of baseball the Dodgers have ever seen in that sample size, up there with the Mannywood Era in 2008 and Hanley Ramirez’s torrid stretch that ended with broken ribs, courtesy of then-Cardinal Joe Kelly.
MLBPA Finalists Named
Today, the Major League Baseball Player’s Association (MLBPA) reached their decision on the three finalists for the National League Most Valuable Player Award. Cody Bellinger was unsurprisingly on the list along with Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon and Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich.
In the American League, Angels outfielder Mike Trout, Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers, and Astros third baseman Alex Bregman were named as the finalists.
2019 Players Choice Awards Outstanding Player Finalists Announced…https://t.co/oo6IXQ7llr pic.twitter.com/EQwJZ9ImfC
— MLBPA Communications (@MLBPA_News) October 17, 2019
Bellinger put together quite the season on both sides of the ball, putting up a 1.035 on-base plus slugging and 162 wRC+ to go with 26 combined defensive runs saved between first base and the outfield.
While he may not be the front-runner, he is most definitely in the conversation. Christian Yelich bested Bellinger is most offensive categories, but with his season-ending kneecap injury, he might not be as strong of a candidate anymore in voters’ eyes. Anthony Rendon being one of they key players in the Nationals’ trip to the World Series this season could catapult him to a photo finish with his competitors. It’s going to be a very close NL MVP race — as close as we have seen in quite some time.
MLBPA Press Release on Bellinger
Cody Bellinger, still just 24, has only gotten better since being voted the NL Outstanding Rookie in the 2017 Players Choice Awards. He established career bests with a .305 batting average, 47 home runs, and 115 RBIs in 2019 while splitting time between the outfield and first base for the NL West champion Dodgers.
