Baltimore – Cody Bellinger reached the World Series three times in his first four seasons in the Majors. In 2020 he was part of a Dodgers team that won the title.
He credit Clayton Kershaw – who announced on Thursday that he would retire after this season – as an important reason why the deadgers were so successful during that period.
“He was a large part of that team and all our teams,” said Bellinger on Thursday for the 7-0 win of the Yankees over the Orioles on Camden Yards. “The way he wears himself. I leaned back, looked and learned: this is what it should look like. When he took the ball every fifth day, he was present. He was the hardest working guy in the room. He had an unparalleled work ethics.”
Bellinger, who hit 0-out-3 with two walks and two points scored, brought it into the other places in his career, first at the Cubs, where he spent two seasons after six years in Los Angeles, and then this year, his first in the Bronx.
In the middle of his best year since its National League MVP season 2019, Bellinger is a crucial part of the Yankees in position to return to the late season.
“That is why I wanted to come here,” said Bellinger about the Yankees, where he arrived in an exchange of the Cubs in the low season and surpassed his replacement in Chicago, Kyle Tucker. “Able to get into the play -offs is very important. It’s fun. That’s why you play the game.”
Bellinger delivered everything that the Yankees could have asked for when they ship Cody Potet to Chicago in exchange for the Lefty-Winger after Juan Soto had left for the Mets and their $ 765 million.
The 30-year-old Bellinger is a fixed value in the line-up, all of which plays the outfield positions well and also fill in at first base when needed.
And his 1,034 OPS against left-handed pitching is the third best in the Majors, behind only teammates Aaron Judge and Paul Goldschmidt-Been right-handed batters.
He is also on a pace to appear in more matches than in every season since ’19, when he played matches in 156.
That has led to most homers, RBIs and has been running since 2019.
But after missing the play -offs in both seasons in Chicago – despite solid songs on the record – Bellinger’s Focus is only on winning games this time of the year.
“To play meaningful games in September, that’s all you can ask for,” said Bellinger. “That’s something I’ve known for a long time.”
And the Yankees are set up to do even more.
“We have one goal and that is to win the World Series,” said Bellinger, whose father, Clay, was part of two title -winning teams in the Bronx, in 1999 and 2000. “I know that is the goal of many teams, but I like what we have in this dressing room. This is the time to prove it.”
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