Bellinger crushes age 21 lists

Phil Gurnee ♦ October 2, 2017 ♦ 1 Comment

Quite a few players made their marks on the LAD record books but no one made their mark like Cody Bellinger. Let’s get started:

Cody Bellinger hit the most home runs by a Dodger 1st baseman since Eric Karros hit 31 in the year 2000. Cody hit 39 home runs overall, but only 30 as a 1st baseman.

Player           HR Year Age  PA  OPS   Pos
Eric Karros      34 1999 31   639 .912 *3/H
Eric Karros      34 1996 28   670 .795 *3
Steve Garvey     33 1977 28   696 .834 *3/H
Eric Karros      32 1995 27   620 .905 *3
Eric Karros      31 2000 32   663 .780 *3/HD
Eric Karros      31 1997 29   700 .787 *3
Cody Bellinger   30 2017 21   364 .933 *37/9H8D

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 10/2/2017.
Highest OPS by a Dodger 1st baseman since Eddie Murray put up a .934 OPS in 1990. Cody crushed as a 1st baseman. His 1.049 OPS is the best ever for a LAD. His slug% of .667 is the best ever for a LAD 1st baseman.

Player            OPS  PA Year Age   BA  OBP  SLG      Pos
Cody Bellinger   1.049 364 2017  21 .299 .382 .667 *37/9H8D
Eddie Murray      .934 645 1990 34 .330 .414 .520 *3/H
James Loney       .919 375 2007 23 .331 .381 .538 *3/H9
Eric Karros       .912 639 1999 31 .304 .362 .550 *3/H
Eric Karros       .905 620 1995 27 .298 .369 .535 *3

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 10/2/2017.

Let’s go to historical age comparisons now.

Only seven National League players 21 years or less since integration in 1947 have put up an OPS+ of at least 140. Cody Bellinger is one of them.

Player              OPS+ Year Age  Tm  PA HR   OPS      Pos
Eddie Mathews        171 1953  21 MLN 681 47 1.033       *5
Cesar Cedeno         162 1972  21 HOU 625 22  .921     *8/H
Albert Pujols        157 2001  21 STL 676 37 1.013  5379/HD
Frank Robinson       143 1956  20 CIN 667 38  .936    *7/8H
Cody Bellinger       142 2017  21 LAD 548 39  .933 *37/9H8D
Giancarlo Stanton    141 2011  21 FLA 601 34  .893   *9/H8D
Hank Aaron           141 1955  21 MLN 665 27  .906   *974/H

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 10/2/2017.
That list includes three HOF, the all-time major league home run hitter not named Barry Bonds, the greatest young hitter in baseball in Eddie Mathews, the greatest home run hitter of our era in Stanton. The only player who is either not in the HOF or is not on a HOF arc is Cesar Cedeno, and let me tell you, if you had seen Cesar Cedeno play, you would have sworn he was headed for the HOF.

Oh, and none of them were primarily a 1st baseman.  Pujols did play 1st base in 2001 but back then he was primarily a 3rd baseman. Much like Bellinger they used him everywhere also playing Left and Right field.

If you want to see the greatest 1st baseman in baseball history who played at least 50% of their games at 1st base while being 21 years or younger, it looks like this:

Player            OPS+ Year Age  Tm Lg  PA   OPS      Pos
Jimmie Foxx        173 1929  21 PHA AL 638 1.088     *3/5
Hal Trosky         150 1934  21 CLE AL 685  .987       *3
Dick Hoblitzell    143 1909  20 CIN NL 592  .782       *3
Cody Bellinger     142 2017  21 LAD NL 548  .933 *37/9H8D

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 10/2/2017.

How about Dodgers, and we will lower the playing component to 350 PA, and any position.

Only two Dodgers have ever had an OPS+ > 120 age 21 or younger with at least 350 PA.

Player           OPS+  PA Year Age  Tm  AB  OPS      Pos
Cody Bellinger    142 548 2017  21 LAD 480 .933 *37/9H8D
Adrian Beltre     114 575 2000  21 LAD 510 .835    *5/H6
Adrian Beltre     102 614 1999  20 LAD 538 .780     *5/H

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 10/2/2017.

Cody Bellinger is the greatest 21-year-old in Dodger history.

Cody Bellinger is the greatest National League 21-year-old since Albert Pujols

Cody Bellinger is the greatest National League 21-year-old left hand hitter since Eddie Mathews.

Cody Bellinger is the bomb