Dodgers’ Player Previews: Cody Bellinger Faces a Critical Year in 2019

The Dodgers will face a tough task in trying to reach a third straight World Series in 2019.  Cody Bellinger needs to be a big part of the Dodgers’ success in order for them to make it back yet again.

The Dodgers face a daunting task in 2019 and that is making it back to a third consecutive World Series.  While winning the division for the seventh time in a row is likely not going to be as challenging, the playoffs like always are a crapshoot where anything could happen.  One player who needs to bounce back in 2019 is the talented youngster Cody Bellinger.

Despite appearing in all 162 games in 2019, Bellinger played himself into a platoon as he was unable to duplicate the success he had against lefties in his rookie season.  In year two, Cody hit just .226 against southpaws with just six of his twenty-five home runs.  That was a stark contrast from 2017 when Bellinger OPS’ed .903 against lefties with twelve home runs.

The Dodgers plan on giving Cody a shot to start every day in 2019, and for good reason.  Outside of his ability to hit 30-40 bombs, Bellinger brings speed and stellar defense to the Dodgers which he showed during last season’s World Series run even when his bat wasn’t producing as the Dodgers had hoped.

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In the postseason, Bellinger was seemingly a non-factor outside of NLCS game seven where he blasted arguably the biggest home run of his career.  Cody went hitless in the NLDS against the Braves and he hit below .100 in the World Series.  If the Dodgers plan on winning the World Series in 2019, Cody Bellinger needs to step up and deliver the big hits when they get there just like he did in game four of last season’s NLCS.

While it feels like Cody Bellinger is one of the veterans of the team now, he will be just twenty-three years old until July.  He is still one of the youngest Dodgers and has the best all-around tools of anyone on the club.  While he is the fastest player on the Dodgers he also plays solid defense in the outfield along with his gold glove caliber defense at first base.  If the Dodgers give him a shot to stick to one position in 2019, he might collect his first gold glove award.

While Bellinger is capable of hitting forty home runs, the Dodgers would likely trade some of that power for better results against left-handed pitchers.  The 2019 season will be the biggest of Cody’s career as he will look to dodge the platoon and be a true everyday player with the Dodgers.  It wouldn’t be surprising if he had his first twenty-twenty season in 2019 either.