Cody Bellinger facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cody Bellinger
Bellinger with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2018
New York Yankees – No. 35
Outfielder / First baseman
Born: (1995-07-13) July 13, 1995 (age 30) Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.
Bats: Left Throws: Left
debut
April 25, 2017, for the Los Angeles Dodgers
MLB statistics (through July 11, 2025)
Batting average	.261
Hits	1,037
Home runs	212
Runs batted in	651
Teams
Los Angeles Dodgers (2017–2022) Chicago Cubs (2023–2024) New York Yankees (2025–present)
Career highlights and awards
2× All-Star (2017, 2019) World Series champion (2020) NL MVP (2019) All-MLB First Team (2019) NL Rookie of the Year (2017) NLCS MVP (2018) Gold Glove Award (2019) 2× Silver Slugger Award (2019, 2023) NL Comeback Player of the Year (2023)

Cody James Bellinger (born July 13, 1995) is a professional baseball player. He plays as an outfielder and first baseman for the New York Yankees in Major League Baseball (MLB). Before joining the Yankees, he played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs. The Dodgers picked him in the 2013 MLB draft, and he started playing in the major leagues in 2017.

Cody is the son of former MLB player Clay Bellinger. When he was 11, Cody helped his team reach the 2007 Little League World Series. He played high school baseball at Hamilton High School in Chandler, Arizona. After high school, Bellinger spent two years in the Rookie Leagues. In 2015, he joined the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. There, he became an all-star and helped his team win a championship. A hip injury in 2016 slowed his progress. However, he was called up to the major leagues in April 2017 to help the Dodgers.

Bellinger quickly set new home run records for the Dodgers. He played in the 2017 MLB All-Star Game and the Home Run Derby. After his first season, he was named the National League (NL) Rookie of the Year. In 2018, he was named the MVP of the 2018 National League Championship Series. His game-winning hit helped the Dodgers reach the 2018 World Series. In 2019, he won the NL MVP, Silver Slugger, and Gold Glove Awards. He also made his second All-Star team.

Bellinger won his first World Series title with the Dodgers in 2020. They defeated the Tampa Bay Rays. However, injuries to his shoulder, calf, and ribs made 2021 a tough year. His home run and batting average numbers dropped. After another difficult year in 2022, the Dodgers let him go. He then signed with the Cubs. In his first season with Chicago, he won the NL Comeback Player of the Year award. After his second season with the Cubs in 2024, he was traded to the Yankees.

Early Life and Baseball Beginnings

Cody James Bellinger was born on July 13, 1995, in Scottsdale, Arizona. His parents are Clay and Jennifer Bellinger. His dad, Clay Bellinger, played for the New York Yankees and Anaheim Angels from 1999 to 2002. He won two World Series titles with the Yankees.

Clay Bellinger also coached Cody's Little League team in Chandler, Arizona. In 2007, when Cody was just 11, his team made it to the 2007 Little League World Series (LLWS). Cody was younger than most of his teammates. But he helped his team get to the LLWS by hitting for four runs batted in (RBI) in a key game. His team reached the semifinals in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Later, Bellinger became a star baseball player at Hamilton High School. He was voted the team's MVP in both his junior and senior years. In his senior season, he hit .429. Even though he was tall at 6 feet 4 inches, he was very thin. He only hit one home run that season. Most baseball teams were not interested in picking him early in the draft.

Professional Journey

Minor League Years (2013–2017)

Bellinger with the Tulsa Drillers in 2016.

The Los Angeles Dodgers chose Bellinger in the fourth round of the 2013 MLB Draft. He was the 124th player picked overall. At first, he planned to play college baseball for the Oregon Ducks. But Bellinger decided to sign with the Dodgers instead. He received a signing bonus of $700,000.

He spent his first season with the Rookie League AZL Dodgers. He hit .210 with one home run and 30 RBIs. He struck out a lot but also walked a lot, showing he had potential. The next year, he played for the Ogden Raptors in Rookie ball. He hit .328 with 34 RBIs.

In 2015, Bellinger played his first full year in the minor leagues with the Class A-Advanced Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. He started to get noticed for his hitting. By June, he had 12 home runs, ranking fifth in his league. He was also much younger than other top hitters. He was chosen for the California League All-Star Game. He also helped the Quakes win the California League championship. He hit a game-winning home run in the final series. For his great play, he was named the California League Championship Series MVP. He finished the season hitting .264 with 30 home runs and 103 RBIs.

In 2016, Bellinger started with the Double-A Tulsa Drillers. He missed some time with a hip injury. When he returned, he struggled at first. But then he hit a walk-off grand slam. He hit .263 with 23 home runs for Tulsa. He was then promoted to the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers. He played well there, hitting three home runs in just three games. After the season, he played in the Arizona Fall League. He hit .314 and was named to the All-Fall League team.

Before the 2017 season, Bellinger was invited to a special program for top prospects. He started the 2017 season with Oklahoma City. He was hitting .343 with five home runs when the Dodgers called him up to the major leagues.

Los Angeles Dodgers (2017–2022)

2017: Rookie of the Year Season

The Dodgers needed help in their outfield, so they called up Bellinger on April 25, 2017. He started in left field against the San Francisco Giants. He got his first major league hit that night. A few days later, he hit his first two major league home runs against the Philadelphia Phillies. The next week, he hit his first career grand slam. By May, he had 11 home runs in just 32 games, the fastest Dodgers rookie to reach that mark.

Bellinger with the Dodgers in 2017

In June, Bellinger set more records. On June 13, he became the fastest player in MLB history to have four games with multiple home runs. He also became the fastest player to reach 20 and then 21 home runs. By June 25, he led the NL with 24 home runs. He was chosen for his first Major League Baseball All-Star Game and the Home Run Derby. In the Home Run Derby, he hit 27 home runs but lost to Aaron Judge.

On July 15, Bellinger made history again. He became the first Dodgers rookie to hit for the cycle, getting a single, double, triple, and home run in one game. On September 2, he tied the Dodgers rookie record for home runs with 35. The next day, he broke it. On September 22, his 39th home run helped the Dodgers win the NL West title. He also broke the NL rookie record for most home runs. Bellinger finished his rookie season hitting .267 with 39 home runs and 97 RBIs.

In the playoffs, Bellinger hit a home run in the 2017 National League Division Series (NLDS). He became the youngest Dodger to hit a postseason home run. He also hit a home run in the 2017 National League Championship Series (NLCS). However, he struggled with strikeouts in the 2017 World Series. He set an MLB record with 29 strikeouts in a single postseason. Even though the Dodgers lost the World Series, Bellinger was the clear winner of the NL Rookie of the Year Award.

2018: NLCS MVP Season

Bellinger started the 2018 MLB season by hitting his 40th career home run. He reached this milestone in just 136 games, making him one of the fastest MLB players to do so. However, he struggled through May and early June. His manager, Dave Roberts, even benched him for a game. Bellinger used this time to adjust his batting stance. After that, he started hitting much better, including home runs in four straight games. He played in all 162 regular-season games, hitting .260 with 25 home runs and 76 RBIs.

Bellinger helped the Dodgers win the NL West title with a key home run in a tiebreaker game. In the playoffs, he struggled to get hits in the NLDS. But in the NLCS, his hits were very important. He made a great jumping catch in Game 4. In Game 7, he hit the go-ahead home run that sent the Dodgers to the World Series. For his clutch plays, Bellinger was named the NLCS MVP. Despite this honor, he only started two games in the 2018 World Series. The Dodgers lost the World Series to the Boston Red Sox.

2019: NL MVP Season

Bellinger with the Dodgers in 2019.

Bellinger started the 2019 season incredibly well. By the end of April, he led MLB in runs, hits, batting average, and slugging percentage. He broke records for the most home runs and total bases by a Dodger in April. He also set MLB records for hits and RBIs before May 1. He was named the Player of the Month for April 2019.

By the All-Star break, Bellinger was a top candidate for the NL MVP Award. He led with 72 runs, 73 RBIs, and a .334 batting average. He also had 31 home runs. He was chosen for his second All-Star game and started in the outfield. He turned down an invitation to the Home Run Derby to rest.

On August 2, Bellinger hit his 100th career home run. He reached this milestone in only 401 games, breaking a Dodgers record. Two weeks later, he hit his 40th home run of the year, becoming the youngest Dodger to do so. His hitting slowed down in the second half of the season. Pitchers started to avoid throwing him easy pitches.

Bellinger finished the 2019 season with career bests: a .305 batting average, 47 home runs, and 115 RBIs. He won three major MLB awards: the MVP award, the NL Gold Glove Award, and the NL Silver Slugger Award. He was the first Dodger to win all three in one season. He also won two Fielding Bible Awards for his defense. He was selected to the first-ever All-MLB First Team.

2020: World Series Champions

Before the 2020 season, Bellinger signed an $11.5 million contract. The 2020 MLB season was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bellinger had a slow start to the season. His hitting numbers dropped compared to 2019. He hit only .239 with 12 home runs in 56 games. This was partly because he kept trying to change his swing.

The Dodgers were the first team to make the playoffs in 2020. They swept the Brewers in the Wild Card Series. In the 2020 NLDS against the Padres, Bellinger made a great defensive play. He made a jumping catch to stop a two-run home run. This helped the Dodgers win the game. In the 2020 NLCS, the Dodgers were down 3-1. But they came back to win the series in seven games. Bellinger hit the go-ahead home run in the final game. This sent the Dodgers to the 2020 World Series. There, the Dodgers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in six games. This was Bellinger's first World Series championship.

2021: Injuries and Struggles

Bellinger had surgery on his right shoulder in November 2020. He had injured it many times diving for balls. He later said he dislocated it celebrating his NLCS-winning home run. His recovery went well, and he joined the Dodgers for spring training in 2021. However, he suffered another serious injury on April 6. He collided with a pitcher and got a hairline fracture in his left leg.

He returned on May 29, but his hitting was the worst of his career. He struggled with strikeouts and extra-base hits. He admitted that pain from his shoulder and leg injuries affected his batting. His defense remained strong. In September, he suffered his third major injury of the season. He fractured a rib after colliding with a teammate. Bellinger finished the regular season hitting a career-low .165 with ten home runs.

In the playoffs, Bellinger started to play better. In the Wild Card Game, he reached base three times and stole twice. In the NLDS against the Giants, his two-RBI double helped the Dodgers win Game 2. In Game 5, his game-winning hit sent the Dodgers to the NLCS. In Game 3 of the NLCS, Bellinger hit a huge three-run home run. This tied the game in the eighth inning. The Dodgers went on to win that game. His manager said it was "hard to imagine a bigger hit." Even though the Dodgers lost the NLCS, Bellinger had 12 hits and seven RBIs in the postseason.

2022: Last Season with Dodgers

On December 23, 2021, Bellinger signed a $17 million contract with the Dodgers. In 2022, Bellinger had a tough season. He had the lowest on-base percentage among all qualified hitters at .265. He also hit .210 with 19 home runs and 68 RBIs. He struck out 150 times. After the season, the Dodgers decided not to offer him a new contract, making him a free agent.

Chicago Cubs (2023–2024)

2023: Comeback Player of the Year

Bellinger with the Cubs at the 2023 MLB London Series.

On December 14, 2022, Bellinger signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Cubs. He had a great comeback season in 2023. He was named the National League Player of the Month for July 2023. During that month, he hit eight home runs, had 24 RBIs, and batted .400. For the entire season, he hit .307 with 26 home runs and 97 RBIs.

2024 Season

On November 3, 2023, Bellinger chose to become a free agent again. However, on February 27, 2024, he re-signed with the Cubs. He signed a three-year, $80 million contract. This contract allowed him to leave after the first two seasons if he wanted. Bellinger finished the 2024 season hitting .266 with 18 home runs and 78 RBIs. He then decided to stay with the Cubs for the 2025 season.

New York Yankees (2025–Present)

On December 17, 2024, the Cubs traded Bellinger to the New York Yankees. The Yankees also received $5 million in cash. In return, the Cubs received pitcher Cody Poteet. On May 4, 2025, Bellinger hit his 200th career home run against the Tampa Bay Rays. On June 10, he got his 1,000th career hit. This was an RBI single against pitcher Taylor Clarke. On July 11, Bellinger hit three home runs in a game against the Chicago Cubs. This was his first career three-homer game, and the Yankees won 11–0.

Batting Style Changes

Bellinger was originally better at fielding than hitting. But he became a power hitter after changing his batting stance in 2014–2015. He worked with coaches to add a small hand and wrist movement. This helped him make stronger contact with the ball.

In 2018, people noticed he was standing too tall when batting. This made it hard to get power. So, before the 2019 season, he made more changes. He adopted a more relaxed stance. He also learned to be more selective about which pitches to swing at. These changes helped him hit more often and with more power during his MVP season.

Awards and Honors

Bellinger (left) with his father, Clay, on the red carpet for the 2019 MLB All-Star Game

Personal Life

Cody Bellinger has a younger brother named Cole. Cole was also a talented pitcher at Hamilton High School. The San Diego Padres drafted Cole in 2017. He played in the Padres' minor league system for two seasons before leaving baseball in 2021.

Cody Bellinger has two daughters with his wife, Chase Carter. They were born in November 2021 and April 2023.

A character in the video game Assassin's Creed Valhalla was inspired by Bellinger. In the game, players fight a Viking named Otta Sluggasson. This character uses a tree trunk like a baseball bat. Bellinger, who loves video games, used motion capture technology to help create the character's movements. His own baseball bat was used as the model for Sluggasson's weapon.

See also

In Spanish: Cody Bellinger para niños

• List of people from Chandler, Arizona
• List of second-generation Major League Baseball players
• Los Angeles Dodgers award winners and league leaders