Cody Bellinger working to return to MVP form originally appeared nbc sports chicago
Cody Bellinger is working his way back to MVP form.
“(Jameson) according to Tallon, he’s always working,” Jon Heyman said. Score 670 with Mully and Hogg, “He’s the first guy out there and he’s a very serious guy. The guy who’s most focused on improvement. And certainly, in his case, getting back to where he was.”
It is comforting for Cubs fans to know that Bellinger is not messing with the Cubs.
If he can return to MVP form, he will be a major asset to the Cubs. During his MVP season with the Dodgers in 2019, he hit .305/.406/.629 while hitting 47 home runs and driving in 115 RBI. He led MLB in total bases that season with 351.
His play declined drastically after that season. Last year, he slashed .210/.265/.389 from the plate. In 2021, his batting average in Los Angeles finished at .165. The Cubs brought him on a one-year “prove it” type deal. However, his compensation is relatively comfortable, supplying him with $17.5 million this season.
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Injuries prevented Bellinger from returning to form. Before the 2021 season, he fractured his fibula and was able to play in just 95 games that season. In an unimaginable move, the Dodgers non-tendered him in November, sending him to free agency and into the hands of the Cubs.
The Cubs hoped he could return to Chicago in elite form.
“We’re talking about a guy who was the MVP,” Heyman said. “You always like to sign for one year. But in this case, the upside is huge. If he can get close to that, it will be a huge deal.”
