Dodgers: Cody Bellinger’s Resurgence in the Postseason a Big Positive Moving Forward
Following the end of the Dodgers’ 2021 season, it’s hard to think of anything else besides the what-ifs or the pain of no more Dodger baseball. Yet there were a couple of positive takeaways from it all. One of course was the cementing of Chris Taylor’s legacy in the postseason, and the other was the resurgence of Cody Bellinger.
The 2021 regular season was a lost year for Bellinger. He missed a good chunk of the season to injury and when he was on the field he was a nonfactor. In 95 games he hit an atrocious .165 for the Dodgers and only found his way into the lineup due to his excellent defense in centerfield.
However, he found life in the postseason this year batting .353 with 1 home run, 7 runs batted in, and 5 stolen bases in 12 games. He came through in a handful of opportunities to keep the team’s season alive. That had to have felt good to him after a terrible year. Dave Roberts certainly believed it was something to remember.
“Cody, it was great. We talked about it recently and it’s something that I think he’s going to look back and be proud of himself and how he overcame such crazy adversity. He’s going to be better for it.”
While his showing in the postseason doesn’t promise similar results in the next season, as we have seen in the 2020 season following his MVP year, it does give hope that he’s turned a new leaf. Bellinger is in the thick of his prime with another season of learning under his belt.
With the potential loss of Corey Seager or Chris Taylor, or even both (you never know), Cody’s see emergence as a productive bat in the lineup will be needed if the team hopes to compete for a title once again.
NEXT: Corey Seager Would Like to Return to Los Angeles Next Year
It really was tragic that do many of you here constantly berated Cody all season. Was I happy about his regular season performance? Of course not. But I attributed it to all the injuries he had rather than, as many of you suggested, he had ego issues or had simply lost it. His past track record of both regular and POSTSEASON success had me defending him at every turn. I also commented on how the postseason wipes the slate clean and allows a poor regular season to be set aside. Typically greatest doesn’t disappear, rather sometimes it just goes into hiding for a moment. Thank you Cody for not giving in!