Hernández: Cody Bellinger says he’s still an MVP-type player. Can he prove it?

Cody Bellinger nonetheless thinks of himself as an MVP-caliber participant.

“One-hundred %,” Bellinger mentioned.

He batted .165 final season and .239 the season earlier than that, however he doesn’t assume he’s nonetheless within the means of defining who he’s as a serious leaguer.

“I don’t really feel like that,” he mentioned. “Perhaps individuals do. You do.”

Bellinger chuckled.

Now three years faraway from his MVP season, Bellinger is the best enigma within the Dodgers’ spring coaching camp.

The 26-year-old outfielder is a former rookie of the yr, two-time All-Star, World Collection champion, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner, however who will he be this season?

The fearsome slugger who whacked 39 homers as a rookie and 47 two years later?

Or the participant who was clearly slowed in 2021 by an offseason shoulder operation and have become an offensive legal responsibility?

Bellinger has often been both spectacular or horrible offensively over the past 5 years and barely something in between.

“It’s on him to alter that narrative,” supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned. “I believe there’s little question what we consider him as a ballplayer and what he can and has accomplished to assist us win baseball video games, win a championship. However so far as the consistency half, that’s on each particular person participant. I’ll say that being wholesome offers him a a lot better likelihood.”

Uncertainty over Bellinger elevated the Dodgers’ urgency to pursue the left-handed-hitting Freddie Freeman, whom they signed final week to a six-year, $162-million contract.

Following the offseason departure of Corey Seager, the Dodgers’ prime three left-handed hitters have been three gamers with main questions: Max Muncy, who’s recovering from an elbow harm that sidelined him for the postseason; Gavin Lux, who has struggled in his transition from prime prospect to on a regular basis participant; and Bellinger.

Bellinger says he’s assured he will help even out the left-right steadiness of the lineup, pointing to how a lot better his surgically repaired shoulder feels in comparison with the way it did final yr. He injured the shoulder on a freak accident through the Dodgers’ World Collection run in 2020 when an excessively enthusiastic Kiké Hernández bashed forearms with him to rejoice a house run.

“It was simply extraordinarily weak final yr,” Bellinger mentioned. “It’s your lead shoulder. Energy was the most important half.”

Diminished flexibility was additionally an issue.

“Externally rotating wasn’t there, both,” he mentioned. “It was simply extraordinarily stiff.”

Bellinger, who grew to become a father over the winter, mentioned he spent the offseason strengthening the muscle groups on the again of his shoulder.

“I really feel stronger,” he mentioned. “I really feel just like the ball is leaping off the bat, extra so than it did final yr.”

Bellinger’s inconsistency, nonetheless, predates his shoulder harm.

His rookie-of-the-year marketing campaign was adopted by a pointy decline in manufacturing in his second season, as pitchers found they may successfully assault him with a mix of elevated fastballs and outdoors curveballs.

He recovered by profitable the Nationwide League MVP award in his third season.

A disappointing end to the in any other case spectacular season, nonetheless, prompted Bellinger to switch his swing in 2020. The outcomes worsened.

Then got here the shoulder harm. His return from the harm final yr was difficult by a leg fracture he sustained within the opening week of the season. He sat out almost two months and failed to seek out an offensive rhythm all through the common season.

A pissed off Bellinger modified his swing once more, this time in early September, which set him as much as shine in October.

He drove within the deciding run in a winner-take-all Recreation 5 within the NL Division Collection in opposition to the San Francisco Giants. His eighth-inning homer in Recreation 3 of the NL Championship Collection in opposition to the Atlanta Braves erased a three-run deficit and set the stage for Mookie Betts’ go-ahead double.

Bellinger mentioned he has stored the swing with which he batted .353 in 12 postseason video games final yr, along with his fingers lowered and his stance unfold out.

When the Dodgers’ spring coaching facility was unavailable to him through the baseball lockout, Bellinger hit within the batting cage of former teammate Andre Ethier’s Phoenix-area residence.

Along with figuring out at his home, Bellinger solicited recommendation from the now-retired longtime Dodger.

“He was an incredible hitter for lots of years,” Bellinger mentioned. “I positively picked his thoughts.”

Roberts cited Bellinger’s character when explaining why he thought Bellinger would have one other bounce-back season.

“His protection has by no means been compromised,” Roberts mentioned of how Bellinger has continued to play Gold Glove-caliber protection in middle subject.

Bellinger nodded when handed on Roberts’ phrases. He mentioned his confidence wasn’t diminished.

“You’ll be able to all the time want you possibly can have Mike Trout’s profession,” Bellinger mentioned. “However everybody’s story is completely different. I’m simply writing mine proper now.”

The following chapter shall be 162 video games.