Aaron Judge is, deservedly, getting most of the rookie slugger press this season, but there’s another guy out there turning heads: Cody Bellinger.
Bellinger, who was only supposed to be a temporary callup, has stuck with the Dodgers due to both injuries and his production. He’s hitting .261 and getting on base at a respectable .335 clip. His power, however, has been his calling card. Bellinger has 17 homers in only 45 games and his slugging a robust .630.
Last night he hit two homers in the Dodgers win over the Indians last night. But that was far from his first multi-homer game this year. He hit two bombs on April 29 vs. the Phillies, two on May 5 vs. the Padres and two vs. the Reds just the other night vs. the Reds. That, according to MLB, is a record:
.@Cody_Bellinger now has FOUR multi-HR games in his first 45 career contests.
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) June 14, 2017
He’s the only player in @MLB history to do that. pic.twitter.com/daz5b9kEXH
More importantly, the Dodgers have caught the Rockies at the top of the NL West standings and have the best record in baseball over the past 45 games. Forty-five games in which one Cody Bellinger has been an integral part of the offensive attack.