Cody Bellinger’s Performance Shines in Yankees’ Win
That’s the Cody Bellinger I envisioned when the Yankees made him a key part of their strategy after the Juan Soto deal. In Thursday’s game against the Guardians, Bellinger played right field and made a remarkable leap to catch a ball at the wall. At that point, the game was still scoreless in the fourth inning, but he helped change that by hitting a two-run homer in the same inning.
The Yankees secured a much-needed two-out single, marking their seventh score of the game.
Much of Bellinger’s success stems from playing at Yankee Stadium, where left-handed hitters like him often thrive. In fact, out of his nine homers this season, seven have come from home games.
“You know it’s there,” Bellinger remarked about the unique outfield dimensions. “For me, I need to stay centered and swing. Hopefully, some good will come out of it.”
And, indeed, things have been looking up for him lately.
His rough start as a Yankee has become just a distant memory, especially now that his OPS is over .600.
“At first, I was trying too hard,” Bellinger admitted regarding his slow beginning. “I was really excited. After making some adjustments and having a good chat with the hitting coach, things changed.”
When asked if the adjustments were mechanical or related to his mindset, he said, “Both.”
This early struggle had him chasing too many pitches outside the strike zone. His manager, Aaron Boone, pointed out that while Bellinger has talent, he was expanding his reach too much.
Boone believes Bellinger is now “in a good hitting position and making better swing choices,” which has also provided additional support to Aaron Judge.
In Thursday’s game, Bellinger batted behind Judge in the cleanup position. He collected his fourth home run following Judge’s double, marking the Yankees’ first hit against the Guardians’ Slade Sekoconi.
After the Guardians intentionally walked Judge later in the inning, Bellinger responded with a fly ball into deep center. When they walked Judge again in the seventh, Bellinger capitalized with his second run-scoring hit of the night.
“I think his swing really finds its rhythm when he’s mentally focused and has a solid plan,” said hitting coach James Rouson before Wednesday’s matchup. “When he’s in that zone, he makes the best contact.”
