Cody Bellinger came to the Yankees looking for a fresh start. Instead, he’s found the same old struggles so far this season. Nearly a month into the season, the results are concerning.
Through Tuesday night’s loss to the Cleveland Guardians in which he went 0-for-4, Bellinger is batting .173 with two home runs, a .226 on-base and a .519 slugging percentage, and a 54 wRC+.
The Yankees acquired Bellinger this winter in a trade with the Chicago Cubs to help their offense pivot after losing free-agent slugger Juan Soto. His left-handed swing was seen as a perfect fit for Yankee Stadium, and he was supposed to protect Aaron Judge.
So far, it has not gone as planned. The back tightness and bout of chicken wing-induced food poisoning earlier this month didn’t help. But even when he’s healthy, the swing hasn’t looked right.
There are numbers to back that up.
Bellinger’s pull-side fly ball rate, once a hallmark of his power, is way down to 14.5%. He’s hitting just .091 against breaking balls. He’s still making hard contact at times, but the expected results aren’t following. His xwOBA sits at .281, well below league average. The slug is at .352.
Unfortunately for Bellinger and the Yankees, this isn’t new.
It’s a version of the struggles he went through in 2021 and 2022 with the Dodgers.
The Yankees have been patient with Bellinger. They have had a breakout season from Ben Rice and Paul Goldschmidt has reverted to his former self, which has allowed them to survive while slugger Giancarlo Stanton is rehabbing his two sore elbows.
But Bellinger is under contract through 2026 and the Yankees need to get more from him.
