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Dodgers: Dave Roberts Maintaining Big Hopes For Cody Bellinger

The Dodgers need Cody Bellinger to figure things out, at least a little bit. After a really bad season in which he hit well below the Mendoza Line in 2021, they’re hoping to at least get him back to making good contact.

But Cody showed up to Spring Training this year looking much like he did during the season in 2021. He was missing fastballs, chasing backfoot sliders, and striking out a whole lot. But the Dodgers have never seemed to communicate any sort of worry about him in that process, even with how much he tinkered with his swing. 



With Opening Day on Friday, Cody’s stats once again started to matter. And while he did go 0-for-4, the fact that he didn’t strike out means at least something. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was asked about the hitless performance and what that means for Cody early on.

“I’m not reading anything into it. All I know is that he is healthy, and I’m expecting him to have a good year, and to help us win a lot of baseball games. …He’s going to have a runway, which he has earned. I think it’s deserved. And, with what he does in center field, that alone warrants him being in the lineup for a team.”

He tapped out in front of the plate and fouled out in the infield on the first two pitches that he saw of the season. It’s unfortunate that we’re excited about a player just making contact at this point in the season, but that’s just where we are with Cody Bellinger right now. The Dodgers need him to find it.

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But until he does, it sounds like his defense will suffice. Cody can play plus defense in centerfield when he is healthy, and that will buy him time in this lineup. But it will not buy him an entire season worth of at-bats. 

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7 Comments

  1. Before he hits the long ball, he needs to learn to hit singles. He is back to where he started, bat is almost lying on his shoulder, and he steps to the pitch after it leaves the pitchers hand. No way will he make contact with the fast ball.

  2. After 2 games now 0 for 8, 2 SO’s and 5 runners left on base. Runway was last season and he fell on his face. He keeps experimenting with his swing but always goes back to the same form which isn’t working. Dfense might be great but not enough for a rally killer in the lineup.

  3. Bellinger looked lost, in center field, turning around twice, as a fly ball turned into a double.He’s 0-8, so far, this year. Some time in OKC would benefit him.

    1. He gets turned around like that on almost every single ball hit over his head. Even that great catch when he robbed tatis jr of a home run in the post season, he did the twisty turny. He was gold glove in right and great at first, but he’s no better than averge in center, and has thrown out exactly 2 guys in two seasons from center field, after throwing out 9 guys from right field in 2019.

  4. I would like to see Cody achieve more and more and more. I always notice his presence in the lineup.

  5. Forget the past for a second, has Bellinger looked any worse than the rest of the Dodgers not named Lux or Barnes the past 2 games? At least give him a few series, he’s putting some good contact on some of these balls

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