Dodgers

Dodgers: Cody Bellinger Takes Home Silver Slugger Award

I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but I’m going to say it again. This probably will not be the last time either. Cody Bellinger is pretty awesome. To say the 24-year-old outfielder’s 2019 campaign was fantastic might be understating it. His first half was one for the history books and while his batting average dipped in the second half, he still remains ultra-productive.

Louisville Slugger handed out their famous Silver Slugger awards on Thursday and Cody Bellinger’s name was called. Bellinger received the award for being the best offensive producer out in right field.

By the Numbers

Cody Bellinger is in the MVP conversation mostly because of the absolute tear he was on prior to the All-Star Break last season. In the first half, Bellinger was utterly ridiculous. He put together a .336/.432/.692 slash line, good for a 1.124 OPS and 183 wRC+. He crushed 30 homers and drove in 71 runs in just 88 games.

His second half was a little less productive, but still very productive nonetheless. Bellinger still posted a .913 OPS across 68 games of action, with a .370 on-base percentage and .261 batting average.

Bellinger anchored the offense for the Dodgers all season long with Justin Turner and Max Muncy also chipping in some big numbers.

Silver Slugger

This is the first Silver Slugger of Bellinger’s career and it most likely will not be the last. Bellinger has now brought home the Gold Glove, Fielding Bible Award, and now the Silver Slugger. It is possible he is not done yet with Most Valuable Player Award voting yet to occur and the Platinum Glove Award voting ongoing.

Overall

Bellinger now carries a career .928 OPS and has already crushed 111 home runs through three seasons — a fantastic pace to set some records in the future. Remember, Cody Bellinger is just 24 years of age. He will continue to shine.

Official Press Release

Los Angeles Dodgers’ outfielder Cody Bellinger has been awarded with the 2019 National League Louisville Silver Slugger Award.

He is the first Dodger to win a Louisville Silver Slugger since Corey Seager won back-to-back awards from 2016-2017 and the first Dodger outfielder to receive the award since Matt Kemp in 2011. With his first honor, Bellinger is the 19th player in franchise history to earn the award since its inception in 1980 and it’s the 27th time a Dodger has received a Silver Slugger award. He becomes the fifth player in franchise history to earn the Rawlings Gold Glove and Louisville Silver Slugger in the same season, joining Adrían González (2014), Matt Kemp (2011, 2009), Russell Martin (2007) and Dusty Baker (1981).

In his third season with the Dodgers, Bellinger, 24, appeared in a team-high 156 games, batting .305 (170-for-558) with 34 doubles, 47 homers and 115 RBI. The Arizona native ranked among the NL leaders in batting average (.305, 9th), OBP (.406, 3rd), slugging percentage (.629, 2nd), OPS (1.035, 3rd), total bases (351, 1st), home runs (47, 3rd), runs (121, 2nd), RBI (115, 7th), walks (95, 6th) and extra-base hits (84, 2nd).

The National League Most Valuable Player finalist concluded his regular season campaign recording career-highs in runs, hits, doubles, home runs, RBI, walks and stolen bases (15). He finished fourth in the Majors in homers and third in franchise history with 47 homers in a season, finishing behind only Shawn Green (49) and Adrian Beltre (48). His 26 homers at Dodger Stadium set a new franchise record for homers at home, while his 18 homers against left-handed pitchers were the most in the National League.

The Louisville Silver Slugger Award winners are decided by a vote of Major League Baseball managers and coaches who select the players they determine to be the best offensive producers at each position in the American and National Leagues. Selections are based on a combination of offensive statistics, including batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, as well as the managers’ and coaches’ general impressions of a player’s overall offensive value. Managers and coaches are not allowed to vote for players on their own teams. The accounting firm of Mountjoy Chilton Medley LLP verified the tabulation of balloting.

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