Dodgers: Cody Bellinger’s Final Home Run Total Prediction

These Dodgers have developed a persona that they will not be outslugged by any team. The club currently ranks third in the National League in home runs this season with 176 home runs.

That number is well on its way to surpassing last season’s end of the year total of 189 home runs, where the Dodgers finished eighth in the National League. The big spike in power numbers is due in large part to rookie Cody Bellinger who leads the club with 34 home runs despite playing in less than 100 games.

Bellinger will soon pass Mike Piazza on the list of Dodgers all-time rookie home runs in a single season. Piazza had held the record since 1993 when he had 35 home runs in 149 games. Mark McGwire currently holds the single season home run records during in his rookie season with 49 home runs.

These type of achievements Bellinger is having very early in his professional career brought up the question – How many home runs will Cody Bellinger finish the season with? Well, we ask you Dodger fans and your result we’re heavily one sided.

50% of Dodger fans who participated in the vote think that Bellinger will end up with 45 home runs on the season. That would leave Bellinger with 11 home runs left and four shy of tying the great power hitting Mark McGwire.

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The Dodgers have 45 more games before concluding this record season. Since his call up Bellinger has played just about every day and rightfully so as the Dodgers have the best record in the majors since his call up (74-23).

But does that continue? Chances are that Cody will continue to play at least 8 out of every 10 games. With Adrian Gonzalez looming and roster expansions coming within the next month, it’s fair to believe Roberts will give Bellinger a few more days off to get him rested come playoff time.

Let’s assume Bellinger plays 36 out of the final 45 games. Bellinger is averaging a home run per just about every 12 plate appearances. Assuming Bellinger gets 4 plate appearances in each game he plays, we can expect he’ll get right around 144 more plate appearances as the season concludes. Judging by Bellinger’s home run per plate appearance ratio, we can see about 12 more Beli-bombs. 12 more would put Bellinger with 46 home runs.

Now, granted, take all of this with a grain of salt as we don’t know how much Bellinger will play or if his playing time changes at all. This just goes to show that you Dodger fans were pretty spot on with your prediction of 45 homers for Cody.

While I won’t put it past Cody to become the first Dodger to hit 50 home runs in a season, it does seem like a stretch for Cody to continue his tear as he approaches the most games he’s ever played in a season.

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Cody could certainly crack the top five all time Dodgers power season list. Currently Shawn Green has the most home runs in a season for a Dodger (49, 2001), followed by Adrian Beltre (48, 2004), Duke Snider (43, 1956) and Gil Hodges (42, 1954). Cody currently ranks 19th on all-time home run totals for the Dodgers, but we all know he’ll be moving up that list as soon as the Dodgers hit the field later today. And you know what’s crazy about all this talk? It’s that he’s doing all this as a rookie.