In recent years the Los Angeles Dodgers rejected trade overtures for Joc Pederson, Corey Seager and Julio Urias. This past offseason, Yadier Alvarez, Cody Bellinger and Walker Buehler were added to that group.
During the Dodgers’ search for a second baseman, the Minnesota Twins seemingly had an answer in Brian Dozier. However, Minnesota reportedly coveted a trade package including at least one of Alvarez, Bellinger and Buehler, in addition to Jose De Leon.
Los Angeles refused to part with the trio, and De Leon was instead traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Logan Forsythe. Bellinger is in his second big league camp with the Dodgers as a non-roster invitee.
This year he arrived as the organization’s top position prospect and rated baseball’s top first base prospect. But it was his big bat that recently had one scout project Bellinger could one year slug 50 home runs, according to Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball:
Bellinger “could be a 50 homer guy,” one scout said
Barry Bonds (2001) was the last player to hit at least 50 home runs, setting an MLB record with 73 homers. The accomplishment of hitting 50 home runs in a season has been done 43 times by 27 different players.
Mark McGwire, Babe Ruth and Sammy Sosa have done so with the most frequency — four times. McGwire and Sosa each hit 50 home runs in four consecutive seasons. The Dodgers have never had a player hit 50 home runs in a season.
Sean Green fell just short in 2001, slugging 49 homers in what was his second season with the club. Green hit 42 home runs the following year and was named a National League All-Star.
At 21 years old, Bellinger is only beginning to tap into his power at the plate. He hit 30 home runs for High-A Rancho Cucamonga in 2015, and followed it with 26 home runs last season during time spent with Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Bellinger hit a towering home run out of Maryvale Baseball Park in the Dodgers’ second game of the spring. He’s been the subject of high praise, namely manager Dave Roberts, who called Bellinger a ‘Gold-Glove caliber first baseman.’
While Bellinger is the heir apparent to Adrian Gonzalez, he’s capable of playing all three outfield positions, and that may lead to an MLB debut this season.
