• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Cold Wire

Breaking News, Sports, Entertainment, TV, Tech ...

  • Home
  • World News
  • NFL
  • NBA
  • MLB
  • Cold Hard Facts
  • About
You are here: Home / MLB / Los Angeles Dodgers Rumors And News (Updated Daily) / Is Cody Bellinger Overrated? (Full Argument)

Is Cody Bellinger Overrated? (Full Argument)

By Andres Chavez April 5, 2021 @andres_chavez13

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Cody Bellinger (35) swings at a pitch during a MLB game between the Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 12, 2020 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. The 2020 regular season has been shortened to 60 games due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
(Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire)

 

The Los Angeles Dodgers have an excellent offensive core, one that includes Mookie Betts, Corey Seager, Will Smith, Max Muncy, Gavin Lux, AJ Pollock, and others.

However, one of the main driving forces behind the recent success has been outfielder Cody Bellinger.

Lots of non-Dodgers fans, however, consider him an overrated player that has been inflated by the Los Angeles media and fanbase.

That is not the case, however, as Bellinger’s on-field success both offensively and defensively suggest that he is, in fact, an elite player.

Bellinger has a career .273/.364/.546 line with a 137 weighted Runs Created Plus, or wRC+, an offensive stat that gives us an idea how much better (or worse) than the average a hitter is.

Bellinger’s 137 wRC+ means that he has been, over the course of his career, 37% more productive than his peers, which is very, very good.

He is only 25 years old, yet he already has 123 home runs, 327 runs scored, and 320 runs batted in.

 

Even At His Worst, Bellinger Was Above-Average

Even last season, which was his worse, he was an above-average offensive performer, with a .239/.333/.455 line, 12 homers, 6 steals, and a 114 wRC+.

Bellinger’s hitting prowess was evident in 2019, when he hit .305/.406/.629 with 47 home runs and a 162 wRC+ en route to the National League MVP award.

The Most Valuable Player in the NL: Cody Bellinger. pic.twitter.com/4fIAbBbwgV

— MLB (@MLB) November 14, 2019

He is also extremely versatile, as he is capable of playing first base and all three outfield positions, including the hardest one: center field.

His sneaky athleticism allows him to excel out there as a fielder.

It may not look like it (not every athletic center fielder can hit 47 home runs in a season, after all) but Bellinger is a very good fielder.

 

Cody Bellinger Is Also An Excellent Fielder

According to last year’s Outs Above Average, a relatively new Statcast measure to determine the level of defensive play, Bellinger was in the 100th percentile, meaning he was the best among his peers.

Man, i am obsessed with watching @Cody_Bellinger play defense. #Dodgers pic.twitter.com/1gv4vXu3Da

— 🏆 WS CHAMP Dion Lovato.🏆 (@HeyImDion) February 19, 2021

He had 11 Outs Above Average, and he completed a positive season while going in (1), back (1), to his side towards third base (4) and to his side towards first base (5).

Overall, his list of accolades include two All-Star game selections (2017, 2019), a World Series championship (2020), one All-MLB First Team (2019), the aforementioned NL MVP (2019), the NL Rookie of the Year award (2017), the National League Championship Series MVP (2018), a Gold Glove Award (2019) and a Silver Slugger Award (2019).

He also hit for the cycle on July 15, 2017.

Offensively, Bellinger should be able to rebound from last year’s disappointing season, one that was marred by an extremely small sample size that magnified slumps and bad streaks.

Defensively, he was an excellent contributor, and at his young age, it’s reasonable to expect that level to continue in 2021.

If you want to know why Bellinger isn’t overrated, consider that, since the year he made his MLB debut, which is 2017, only 12 hitters have more Wins Above Replacement, or WAR, than his 16.7.

Overall, Bellinger is properly rated by the average fan, as he has achieved too much at such a young age to be labeled as “overrated.”

Recent News

Detroit Tigers left fielder Akil Baddoo (60) reacts after being called out on strikes during the third inning of the Major League Baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians on April 10, 2021, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH.
How Good Can Tigers Rookie Akil Baddoo Be In 2021?
New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) during the New York Yankees Spring Training Workout on February 16, 2020 at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, FL.
Is Gerrit Cole Overrated? (3 Reasons He Is Not)
Washington Nationals left fielder Juan Soto (22) at bat during the MLB game between the Washington Nationals and Tampa Bay Rays on September 15, 2020 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL.
Predicting The Top 3 MLB Players Over The Next 5 Seasons

Filed Under: Los Angeles Dodgers Rumors And News (Updated Daily), MLB Tagged With: Los Angeles Dodgers

About Andres Chavez

Sportswriter, fantasy sports enthusiast. Covering MLB, NBA, and NFL from every possible angle.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Primary Sidebar

Search The Cold Wire

What's Trending

  • Dallas Mavericks forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) blows into his hand before taking a shot before an NBA game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers on December 01, 2019, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA.
    Re-Drafting The Top 5 Players In The 2015 NBA Draft
    April 19, 2021
    By Noel Guerra
     ...
  • 3 Teams Who Could Sign Free Agent DT Sheldon Richardson
    April 17, 2021
    By Wendi Oliveros
     ...
  • nfl draft stage
    3 Teams Most Likely To Move Down In The NFL Draft
    April 17, 2021
    By Kaiyo Funaki
     ...
  • Phoenix Suns Center DeAndre Ayton (22) looks on during a NBA game between the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Clippers on December 17, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, CA.
    2 NBA Players That Can Be Stars Next Season
    April 16, 2021
    By Noel Guerra
     ...
  • A basketball goes through the net during an NBA game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Oklahoma City Thunder and the on January 24, 2021 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, CA.
    3 NBA Free Agents To Avoid This Off-Season
    April 20, 2021
    By Noel Guerra
     ...

Footer

Privacy Policy

Terms and Conditions

About Us

Contact Us

Sitemap

Follow us on

Copyright © 2021 · ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - TheColdWire.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon website (amazon.com amazon.in etc) and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program.