New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger hasn't been good in a long time.
The New York Yankees absolutely had to re-sign Cody Bellinger during the offseason. It was a must, especially considering they didn't do anything else for their offense last winter.
Unfortunately, Bellinger has not delivered like the Yankees hoped.
Yes, the former NL MVP remains one of the best defensive outfielders in the game. He has logged a plus-19 DRS and a plus-6 OAA this season. His glove has been tremendous, and that alone makes him valuable.
But his offense has entirely disappeared.
Bellinger had a great first couple of months. He was particularly impressive in May, when he slashed .304/.415/.578 with five home runs and 23 RBI.
Since then, however, the 31-year-old has been subpar at the plate.
Bellinger is slashing .257/.309/.351 since June 1. That is good for a .660 OPS. He has just one home run since June 18, and while he did miss a month due to a hamstring injury, that is still an unacceptable number.
So what exactly has gone wrong for Bellinger?
Well, his barrel rate is at a meager 5.9 percent, the worst of his career. His ISO is at .150, his lowest mark since 2021. And while his line drive and hard contact rates are actually solid, his .294 BABIP indicates he isn't getting that unlucky.
The Yankees knew Bellinger was not the same player from his MVP days with the Los Angeles Dodgers when they initially acquired him heading into 2025. But after such a strong debut campaign in the Bronx, New York was surely hoping to get more out of him this season.
Obviously, not having Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton in the lineup has hurt. It isn't random that his downturn coincided with Judge hitting the injured list to begin June, and Stanton's absence makes things that much worse.
But Bellinger hasn't even been moderately productive at the plate in the process.
Perhaps the veteran has become an every-other-year player based on his last several campaigns. Or maybe he is just declining.
Whatever the case may be, the Yankees paid Bellinger $162.5 million through 2030. While they appreciate his defense, they certainly handed him that deal expecting he would continue to be a force at the dish.
If Bellinger's bat ends up going flat from here on out, New York may sadly end up regretting the payout, even if it was absolutely necessary at the time.
