Cody Bellinger moving up with 28

Phil Gurnee ♦ July 25, 2017 ♦ Leave a comment

With Cody Bellinger on pace to set the new NL Rookie Home Run record, I thought now would be a good time to look at the names he’ll be passing on his way to the record.

Frank Robinson blasted those 38 home runs way back in 1956 when he was just 20 years old. That record was able to survive the PED years. The second youngest player to ever hit at least 28 home runs as a rookie? Cody Bellinger. Tied with Pujols

Dodgers on the list include Piazza, Bellinger, Seager, and Pederson.

Fun little item.
Joc was 23 when he hit 26 in 2015
Corey was 22 when hit 26 in 2016
Cody is 21 with his 28 in 2017

The list below is every NL Rookie to hit at least 25 home runs.  The list includes HOF Frank Robinson, HOF Mike Piazza, HOF Billy Williams, HOF Orlando Cepeda, and HOF Eddie Mathews. Both Cepeda and Mathews were only 20 when the hit their 25 rookie home runs.

Players still active on this list are Albert Pujols, Ryan Braun, Chris Young, Bellinger, Story, Seager, Pederson, Bryant.

Eight players are still active and three of them are Dodgers and all are still 25 or younger.  Yeah baby.

Player                        HR Year Age  Tm  PA   OPS       Pos
Frank Robinson (RoY-1st)      38 1956  20 CIN 667  .936     *7/8H
Wally Berger                  38 1930  24 BSN 628  .990      *7/H
Albert Pujols (RoY-1st)       37 2001  21 STL 676 1.013   5379/HD
Mike Piazza (RoY-1st)         35 1993  24 LAD 602  .932     *2/H3
Ryan Braun (RoY-1st)          34 2007  23 MIL 492 1.004      *5/H
Earl Williams (RoY-1st)       33 1971  22 ATL 550  .815      253H
Chris Young (RoY-4th)         32 2007  23 ARI 624  .763      *8/H
Jim Ray Hart (RoY-2nd)        31 1964  22 SFG 625  .840    *5/9H7
Willie Montanez (RoY-2nd)     30 1971  23 PHI 683  .798    *89/3H
Dave Kingman                  29 1972  23 SFG 531  .765     537/H
Dick Allen (RoY-1st)          29 1964  22 PHI 709  .939        *5
Bobby Thomson                 29 1947  23 NYG 591  .844     *8/4H
Cody Bellinger                28 2017  21 LAD 334  .973   *37/9HD
Wilin Rosario (RoY-4th)       28 2012  23 COL 426  .843    *2H/53
Prince Fielder (RoY-7th)      28 2006  22 MIL 648  .831     *3/HD
David Justice (RoY-1st)       28 1990  24 ATL 504  .908    *39/H7
Trevor Story                  27 2016  23 COL 415  .909      *6/H
Dan Uggla (RoY-3rd)           27 2006  26 FLA 683  .818     *4/HD
Corey Seager                  26 2016  22 LAD 687  .877      *6/H
Joc Pederson                  26 2015  23 LAD 585  .763       *8H
Kris Bryant                   26 2015  23 CHC 650  .858 *5/789HD3
Josh Willingham (RoY-9th)     26 2006  27 FLA 573  .852   *7/HD32
Jason Bay (RoY-1st)           26 2004  25 PIT 472  .907     *7/H8
Preston Wilson (RoY-2nd)      26 1999  24 FLA 543  .852     *879H
Darryl Strawberry (RoY-1st)   26 1983  21 NYM 473  .848      *9/H
Todd Helton (RoY-2nd)         25 1998  24 COL 595  .911       *3H
Billy Williams (RoY-1st)      25 1961  23 CHC 584  .822      *79H
Orlando Cepeda (RoY-1st)      25 1958  20 SFG 643  .854      *3/H
Eddie Mathews (RoY-3rd)       25 1952  20 BSN 593  .767      *5/H

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 7/25/2017.