Bellinger's 17th HR pads Dodgers' lead
Cody Bellinger's 17th home run of the season is a two-run shot that gives the Dodgers a 4-0 lead over the Reds.
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The biggest differences between the Bellinger of last season, which he ended playing in a platoon, and his MVP-level production so far this season are his increased contact and hard-hit rates. Entering Wednesday, Bellinger was making contact on 82.2% of his swings — up from 72.4% last year. His swinging strike rate has dropped from 12.3% to 7.5%. In 2018, he hit the ball hard 40.1% of the time. This year, that number has jumped to 52.8%.
The combination generated one of the best starts in major league history. Bellinger won the National League player of the month award for March and April. He was the best player in baseball. He led the majors in an assortment of categories. He banged 14 home runs. And then he stopped hitting them. He admitted that would’ve spelled trouble last year, when he performed below expectations, particularly against left-handed pitchers. “I think it was just, ‘Oh, what do I got to do today to get hits, hits, hits, hits, hits,’” Bellinger said, “When you don’t get hits it’s depressing. So it’s a different mind-set.” Source: LA Times
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