Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger is struggling badly during spring training play.
So far, he is hitting .148 with a .179 OBP and a horrific .327 OPS in 27 at-bats, in which he has just four hits.
In recent interviews, Bellinger suggested that it’s better to get these struggles out of the way when games don’t count.
However, he looks lost at the plate and the Dodgers are starting to become concerned, especially after seeing him slump badly last season, too.
Bellinger was a beast in the postseason, as he attributed his rebound to a mechanical adjustment that allowed him to reach high fastballs better.
However, his regular season was disastrous: he slashed .165/.240/.302 in 350 plate appearances, and struck out in 26.9 percent of his plate appearances.
It was a far cry from the .305/.406/.629 with 47 home runs he had in 2019, his MVP season.
Coaches Don’t Fully Agree With Bellinger’s Hitting Approach
Coaches in the organization are weighing in on Bellinger’s slump.
“Dodgers hitting coach Brant Brown on struggling Cody Bellinger. ‘He’s really trying to navigate what his feels are. Sometimes we all know hitter’s feels will deceive them…trying to be more in tune with what the real is versus the feel,” Washington Post reporter Chelsea Janes tweeted on Wednesday.
Dodgers hitting coach Brant Brown on struggling Cody Bellinger.
“He’s really trying to navigate what his feels are. Sometimes we all know hitter’s feels will deceive them…trying to be more in tune with what the real is versus the feel.”
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) March 31, 2022
Janes kept tweeting quotes from Brown suggesting that the organization is not fully on board with Bellinger’s approach.
“Brown and fellow hitting coach Van Scoyoc said they want Bellinger to find a more consistent approach, but also to support him. Van Scoyoc: ‘If he wants to experiment, he’s his own person. If he comes up with a thought, he has the right to try it. It’s his swing, his career,’” she tweeted.
Brown and fellow hitting coach Van Scoyoc said they want Bellinger to find a more consistent approach, but also to support him.
Van Scoyoc: “If he wants to experiment, he’s his own person. If he comes up with a thought, he has the right to try it. It’s his swing, his career.”
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) March 31, 2022
There appears to be a difference in hitting approaches between Bellinger and his coaches, which is not that uncommon, but is less than ideal.
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CODY IS GOING TO FIND HIMSELF TRADED NEXT YEAR, HIS STUBBORNESS IS HIS DEMISE, I LOVE COD BUT ONE GETS TIRES OF A MAN NOT ABLE TO HIT ON A CONSISTANT BASIS. JUST NESS TO MAKE SOME CHANGES PEOPLE ARE SUGGESTING. I LIKE CODY IS A SHAME
CODY IS GOING TO FIND HIMSELF TRADED NEXT YEAR, HIS STUBBORNESS IS HIS DEMISE, I LOVE COD BUT ONE GET TIRES OF A MAN NOT ABLE TO HIT ON A CONSISTANT BASIS. JUST NEEDS TO MAKE SOME CHANGES PEOPLE ARE SUGGESTING. I LIKE CODY ITS IS A SHAME.