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Just over a month into the New York Yankees' 2025 season, it's time to admit that Cody Bellinger is a problem. The former National League MVP is hitting just .185 with a .242 on-base percentage and a .296 slugging percentage. His wRC+ sits at 53, which is well below average.
And yet, Bellinger is in the No.3 hole every night trying to protect Aaron Judge.
New York Yankees center fielder Cody Bellinger tosses his bat after being called out on strikes against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on April 22, 2025.© David Richard-Imagn Images
That spot in the order was supposed to play to Bellinger’s strengths. The Yankees hoped he’d see better pitches with Judge in front of him and Paul Goldschmidt behind him. So far, it clearly hasn’t worked.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone hasn’t ruled out making changes; in fact, he dropped him to fifth in the lineup last week. Still, Bellinger was back in the three-spot in Monday night’s loss to the Orioles.
The advanced numbers don’t paint an encouraging picture for Bellinger and the Yankees.
According to Baseball Savant, Bellinger’s expected batting average is .208. His expected slugging is .362, and his xwOBA is .290. All three trail league averages. He’s hitting the ball with decent velocity (his average exit velocity is 90.5 mph), but he’s not barreling up enough pitches. His barrel rate sits at just 7.9%.
Bellinger also struggling badly against breaking balls. He hasn’t recorded a single hit against sliders all season, and his chase rate is up over 31%. These are the same issues that derailed his 2021 season with the Dodgers.
There are a few encouraging signs. His hard-hit rate is 42.9%, and his walk rate is 8.6%. But right now, the contact just isn’t dangerous enough, and the at-bats aren’t competitive enough for a top-three hitter.
When the Yankees traded for Bellinger this winter, they could not have expected him to return to his former MVP level of play, and they were also not expecting to get the 2021 Dodgers’ version of a struggling Bellinger.
It may be time to try dropping Bellinger in the batting order to see if he can figure things out without killing the top of the lineup.
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And yet, Bellinger is in the No.3 hole every night trying to protect Aaron Judge.
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New York Yankees center fielder Cody Bellinger tosses his bat after being called out on strikes against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on April 22, 2025.© David Richard-Imagn Images
That spot in the order was supposed to play to Bellinger’s strengths. The Yankees hoped he’d see better pitches with Judge in front of him and Paul Goldschmidt behind him. So far, it clearly hasn’t worked.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone hasn’t ruled out making changes; in fact, he dropped him to fifth in the lineup last week. Still, Bellinger was back in the three-spot in Monday night’s loss to the Orioles.
The advanced numbers don’t paint an encouraging picture for Bellinger and the Yankees.
According to Baseball Savant, Bellinger’s expected batting average is .208. His expected slugging is .362, and his xwOBA is .290. All three trail league averages. He’s hitting the ball with decent velocity (his average exit velocity is 90.5 mph), but he’s not barreling up enough pitches. His barrel rate sits at just 7.9%.
Bellinger also struggling badly against breaking balls. He hasn’t recorded a single hit against sliders all season, and his chase rate is up over 31%. These are the same issues that derailed his 2021 season with the Dodgers.
There are a few encouraging signs. His hard-hit rate is 42.9%, and his walk rate is 8.6%. But right now, the contact just isn’t dangerous enough, and the at-bats aren’t competitive enough for a top-three hitter.
When the Yankees traded for Bellinger this winter, they could not have expected him to return to his former MVP level of play, and they were also not expecting to get the 2021 Dodgers’ version of a struggling Bellinger.
It may be time to try dropping Bellinger in the batting order to see if he can figure things out without killing the top of the lineup.
Related: Yankees Admit Boos Helped Prompt Devin Williams' Demotion
Related: Aaron Judge Caught Celebrating 33rd Birthday With TV Stars
Related: Aaron Judge Caught Celebrating 33rd Birthday With TV Stars
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