Cody Bellinger is more than just another LAD ROY
As expected Cody Bellinger unanimously won the National League Rookie of the Year award for 2017. Like Corey Seager he is more than that, he should be a top ten MVP candidate going forward.
Given their ages, it can be expected that improvement will follow and that by the time they have played five seasons for the Dodgers they will already be considered among the best Los Angeles Dodgers to ever play the game.
In only two years I think you could easily argue that Corey Seager is the greatest LAD shortstop of all time. And that includes a MVP shortstop in Maury Wills.
I expect the same from Cody Bellinger. I think he’s better than Corey Seager in that he can impact the game in more ways. He’s also started his major league career one year earlier. Who cares who is better? The important thing is that they are both Dodger infielders with years of cheap team control. The stuff general managers and baseball fans dream of for their respective teams.
Below are the bWAR totals for Los Angeles Dodgers by the age of 21. Adrian Beltre is headed for the HOF but his age 22/23 won’t be as kind for him.
Player WAR/pos From To Age PA BA OBP SLG OPS Pos Adrian Beltre 7.4 1998 2000 19-21 1403 .272 .344 .438 .782 *5/H6 Cody Bellinger 4.2 2017 2017 21-21 548 .267 .352 .581 .933 /*379H8D Bill Russell 3.7 1969 1970 20-21 542 .245 .302 .355 .657 *9/8H76 Willie Davis 3.4 1960 1961 20-21 474 .267 .322 .457 .779 *8/H Tommy Davis 2.2 1959 1960 20-21 375 .275 .301 .425 .726 /*8H795
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 11/15/2017.
I expected Corey Seager to be the NL Rookie of the Year in 2016. I never expected that from Cody Bellinger. I felt he was the best option for left field back in March when fans laughed at Jim Bowen for suggesting such a thing, but I was a believer. What I didn’t believe is that he’d break the all-time NL home run record for a rookie. I expected struggles, was hoping for something along .240 / .320 / .480 and someday morph into Anthony Rizzo. What we got was prime time Anthony Rizzo from the get go.
One of the things lost in my tracking Cody’s race to break the NL home run record for a rookie was the fact he was doing this at age 21. So without further ado, here is the list of every major league player to hit at least 30 home runs at the baseball age of 21.
Of course Eddie Mathews is on the top. Eddie Mathews was one of the greatest young players to ever play the game. This is a crazy list of absolutely some of the greatest players to ever play the game. Cody Bellinger is 2nd on this list.
Player OPS+ HR Year Age Tm PA AB Eddie Mathews 171 47 1953 21 MLN 681 579 Cody Bellinger 142 39 2017 21 LAD 548 480 Albert Pujols 157 37 2001 21 STL 676 590 Hal Trosky 150 35 1934 21 CLE 685 625 Giancarlo Stanton 141 34 2011 21 FLA 601 516 Jimmie Foxx 173 33 1929 21 PHA 638 517 Bob Horner 135 33 1979 21 ATL 515 487 Miguel Cabrera 130 33 2004 21 FLA 685 603 Jose Canseco 116 33 1986 21 OAK 682 600 Andruw Jones 116 31 1998 21 ATL 631 582 Ruben Sierra 101 30 1987 21 TEX 696 643
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 11/15/2017.
Bellinger, basically blew our minds from day one, and continued to blow our minds all the way into November. He was batting cleanup in game seven of the World Series and even though at times had been over-matched in the postseason, I fully expected him to lead the team to the World Championship. With each at-bat I felt he would light the candle at the Ravine.
It didn’t happen
It may have been the only time in a full season of baseball that Cody Bellinger didn’t deliver. He delivered so often that the expectation I put him was not unreasonable.
Think how ridiculous that is. I had expectations that a 21-year-old rookie would prove to be the difference in a game seven championship game, and it was not unreasonable.
Cody Bellinger is going to become the greatest Dodger to ever play 1st base. I feel very comfortable in saying that.
Which means going forward the Dodgers will have two of the greatest players of their franchise in their infield.
And they are only going to be 22 and 24.
Player WAR/pos From To Age PA OBP SLG OPS Pos Willie Davis 20.2 1960 1964 20-24 2347 .314 .421 .735 *8/H Adrian Beltre 13.8 1998 2003 19-24 3161 .320 .428 .748 *5/H6 Corey Seager 13.5 2015 2017 21-23 1413 .374 .502 .876 *6/H5D Tommy Davis 12.9 1959 1963 20-24 2191 .346 .467 .813 *758/9H Yasiel Puig 11.3 2013 2015 22-24 1383 .371 .487 .858 *9/8H7D Matt Kemp 10.2 2006 2009 21-24 1801 .346 .480 .826 *89/H7 Jim Lefebvre 9.8 1965 1966 23-24 1241 .335 .415 .749 *4/5H Bill Russell 9.0 1969 1973 20-24 1908 .303 .348 .651 *69/H847 Russell Martin 7.6 2006 2007 23-24 1088 .366 .454 .821 *2/HD Mike Piazza 7.1 1992 1993 23-24 676 .361 .534 .895 *2/H3 Willie Crawford 7.1 1964 1971 17-24 1401 .326 .401 .727 7H9/8
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 11/15/2017.
Hot damn.
Just for fun here are all the major league players since 1958 to have at least 30 home runs by the age of 21. I’ll look at this in more detail later on and add the all important home run per plate appearance which is where Mr. Bellinger really shines.
Player HR From To Age PA OBP SLG OPS Pos Tony Conigliaro 84 1964 1966 19-21 1657 .339 .508 .847 *9/78H Alex Rodriguez 64 1994 1997 18-21 1523 .366 .534 .900 *6/HD Mike Trout 62 2011 2013 19-21 1490 .404 .544 .948 *87/9DH Ken Griffey 60 1989 1991 19-21 1805 .367 .479 .847 *8/HD Giancarlo Stanton 56 2010 2011 20-21 997 .344 .525 .869 *9/H8D Bob Horner 56 1978 1979 20-21 874 .332 .547 .879 *5/3H Bryce Harper 55 2012 2014 19-21 1489 .351 .465 .816 *78/9H Andruw Jones 54 1996 1998 19-21 1211 .319 .472 .791 *89/H7 Orlando Cepeda 52 1958 1959 20-21 1291 .349 .517 .866 *3/75H Ruben Sierra 46 1986 1987 20-21 1107 .302 .472 .774 *9/78HD Miguel Cabrera 45 2003 2004 20-21 1031 .352 .497 .850 79/5HD Justin Upton 43 2007 2009 19-21 1157 .350 .485 .836 *9/HD Carlos Correa 42 2015 2016 20-21 1092 .354 .475 .829 *6/H Adrian Beltre 42 1998 2000 19-21 1403 .344 .438 .782 *5/H6 Johnny Bench 42 1967 1969 19-21 1292 .323 .444 .767 *2/H Vada Pinson 41 1958 1960 19-21 1523 .355 .483 .837 *8/97H Boog Powell 40 1961 1963 19-21 1002 .317 .433 .750 *7/3H9 Cody Bellinger 39 2017 2017 21-21 548 .352 .581 .933 /*379H8D Cesar Cedeno 39 1970 1972 19-21 1651 .338 .461 .799 *8/97H3 Jose Canseco 38 1985 1986 20-21 782 .320 .461 .781 *7/9H8D Ed Kranepool 38 1962 1966 17-21 1848 .301 .371 .671 *3/9H78 Albert Pujols 37 2001 2001 21-21 676 .403 .610 1.013 /5379HD Manny Machado 33 2012 2014 19-21 1266 .313 .434 .747 *5 Jason Heyward 32 2010 2011 20-21 1079 .362 .427 .789 *9/H Juan Gonzalez 32 1989 1991 19-21 758 .312 .465 .777 *8/7D9H Ron Santo 32 1960 1961 20-21 1037 .343 .453 .796 *5/H
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 11/15/2017.
- Posted in: 2017 Dodger OffSeason ♦ Cody Bellinger ♦ Corey Seager ♦ Uncategorized
Dodgers, Yesterday and Today 
I love Bellinger’s as the best LA Dodger 1B, but he’s got a ways to go to pass Gil Hodges.
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Definitely, but he’s got a hell of a head start. Gil was 27 before he had a season like Cody had at age 21. The one thing Cody has over just about every other first baseman is the speed factor. He’s not just a fast 1st baseman, he’s a fast player period. That translates into all sort of advantages that you normally don’t get from a 1st baseman.
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Also, I should note that everything I write about is Los Angeles Dodger based. I usually point this out like
“In only two years I think you could easily argue that Corey Seager is the greatest LAD shortstop of all time. And that includes an MVP shortstop in Maury Wills.
I expect the same from Cody Bellinger. “
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Which is why 99% of my baseball reference lists start with the year 1958. Sometimes I’ll fudge when players like Drysdale, Koufax, Hodges, Snider, Podres had significant careers on both coasts but mostly it is just LAD.
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“Bring On Home”
– Led Zepplin
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