Cody Bellinger Bombs: Chronicling Home Run 63

Dodgers Nation will be writing about ‘Bellinger Bombs’. The Dodgers have one of the best young power hitters in the game under contract for the foreseeable future. Writers like Sam Miller have asked the question ‘What if Cody Bellinger is going to break the all-time home run record’. As the career home runs continue to pile up, we will examine each one in greater detail. We will allow you; the fan, to savor each one as they should be. Because what’s more fun than a home run? (You can look back at the collection here). 

“You and that kid, man”, Clint Pasillas said to me on Two Clint’s, One Pavilion Dodgers Nation Pregame Show. Indeed, me and that kid.

On the show I stated that Cody Bellinger would hit his 24th home run of the season last night off Matt Koch; and he did. This was likely the final time that Bellinger homers in the 2018 season. He made some headway in terms of his career total – but we were hopeful that we would do almost twice as many of these posts. That said, from now until Niagara falls; if Bellinger dials long distance (even in the postseason) we will do a little ditty about it right here.

Let’s celebrate the party that is a Bellinger bomb one last time, shall we?

The Home Run

Hello, #BELLIBOMB. pic.twitter.com/YvZtHJiQkt

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 26, 2018

Let’s tally this beauty up via the Bellinger home run log on baseball-reference. Bellinger’s third career home run in Arizona was his 34th on the road and 45th of his career of right-handed pitching. This was the seventh time Bellinger has homered in the second inning. It was his 3oth to DEEP right field – and his 35th solo shot of his career. Bellinger has homered eight times as the Dodgers center fielder, and a dozen times from the five-hole in the lineup.

With 63 career home runs, he is now a single long ball away from Wes Parker and Wally Moon on the franchise all-time list. It could be a 2019 version of this column when he finally runs them and others down, which is hard to believe.

How Bellinger’s Home Run Impacted The Game

When Bellinger stepped into the box in the second inning, the game was in a scoreless tie. It was a true 50 percent win expectancy for the Dodgers at that point. After that, he hit his long home run and improved their odds to 60 percent because the act took place so early in the contest. It was a swing of ten percent – and sadly it did not hold up as the final was a 4-3 heartbreaking loss.

The Victim

Matt Koch, we have been here before. Welcome back to the thunder-dome. Koch has not had a banner year for Arizona in 2018, but he hasn’t been bad either. Koch is currently 5-5 on the season with a 4.15 ERA, fine enough in a ballpark like Chase Field. However, when it comes to allowing home runs to Cody Bellinger; he joins the illustrious company of pitchers who Belli has tagged more than one time.

This was the 20th time in Koch’s career that a player has hit a home run off him in the big leagues.

Exit Velocity, Distance, Pitch Data, and Angle

#Dodgers 1 @ #Dbacks 0 [T2-0o]?Cody Bellinger homers (24): fly ball to RF (solo)

90.2mph Fastball (Cutter)
RHP Matt Koch (19)

— Home Run Tracker (@DingerTracker) September 26, 2018

This was a cutter that ran way in on Bellinger at 90 miles per hour – beautiful job of hitting by Bellinger if you watch the replay. Bellinger gets his hands somehow inside the ball, and drives it out to deep right field to the tune of 422 feet. This was a true moonshot for a ball that was pulled. It left the bat at 103 miles per hour exit velocity and reached an angle of 33 degrees at it’s highest point. This must have been quite a blast to see in person at the stadium.

Overall Bellinger-Bomb Prominence Score

This could have went down as one of the bigger home runs of the Dodgers season if it holds up as a 1-0 winner behind a dominant Buehler outing; but the game script did not play out that way. It didn’t come off an ace pitcher, and wasn’t at Dodger Stadium. Those are things we subtract points for. Still, it was a clutch home run and Bellinger gets to a nice round number on his season total; or at least an even number.

If this was his last home run until the winter snow melts next spring – it’s been a pleasure writing these up each time. There’s NOTHING like a Belli-bomb!

Dodgers Nation Prominence HR Score: 7.5