After 7 Years Away, MLB All-Star Game MVP Cody Bellinger Relishes Return

PHILADELPHIA — Cody Bellinger walked into the press conference room holding his glass bat MVP trophy, with his daughters circling his feet. “Come on girls!” he called to four-year-old Caiden and three-year-old Cy, both in matching pink shirts and sunglasses, pulling over chairs so they could join him at the podium. Caiden stayed put through all the questions; Cy lasted only a few minutes under the camera lights before retreating to her mom, Bellinger’s wife, Chase, in the audience. For eight minutes, Bellinger’s face stayed lit with joy. “It was my first All-Star Game experience with my kids, my wife, and my family,” said Bellinger, on his third trip to the Midsummer Classic. “My last time here, it was just me. So sharing it with everyone here, it was a blessing.” It was Bellinger’s first All-Star nod since 2019, when he won National League MVP as a 23-year-old phenom, batting .305 with 47 home runs and a 1.035 OPS for the Dodgers. In the seven years since, he went from the best player in the league to a non-tendered free agent to, finally, All-Star Game hero — as the American League blanked the National League, 4-0, at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday night. Bellinger delivered the biggest swing of the night, ripping a bases-loaded two-run single off Phillies southpaw Cristopher Sanchez in the first inning to give the AL an early lead it would never relinquish. His single up the middle was part of an offensive outburst from a Yankee-heavy middle of the lineup that also included a run-scoring hit from teammate Ben Rice. “Seeing him drive in those two runs early, from the on-deck circle, I was so fired up for him,” Rice said. “I was just so happy for him and his family. Him getting to walk the red carpet with his wife and his two kids. “Cody took some pressure off me. It’s funny, I’m used to hitting in front of him in the order, and he always tells me that I’m his guinea pig. So it was cool being behind him and seeing him rip a single up the middle. I said, ‘OK. We got this. Let’s go.’” Bellinger’s MVP award extended the Yankees’ recent run of hardware at the Midsummer Classic. He became the first Yankee to win the Ted Williams Award since Giancarlo Stanton in 2022, joining Mariano Rivera (2013) and Derek Jeter (2000) as the fourth player in Yankees franchise history to take home All-Star Game MVP honors. “Wearing this jersey, I feel proud wearing it,” Bellinger said. “It comes with a lot. I just try to put my best foot forward every day and give it everything I got.” After his 2019 NL MVP season, Bellinger went from looking like a generational talent, destined for superstardom in Los Angeles for a decade or more, to becoming a shell of the player that once held so much promise. The years that followed were rough. Injuries to his shoulder, calf and ribs sapped his power and in 2021, his batting average (.165) and slugging percentage (.302) bottomed out. After another disappointing season in 2022, the Dodgers made the shocking decision to non-tender him rather than pay him through arbitration. The former MVP was suddenly a free agent, and nobody was rushing to sign him. In 2023, he signed a one-year, prove-it deal with the Chicago Cubs, where he slowly began rebuilding his game. Bellinger retooled his swing and won NL Comeback Player of the Year in his first season at Wrigley. But after two years in Chicago, the Cubs traded him to the New York Yankees in Dec. 2024, and it’s in the Bronx that Bellinger’s career has finally turned around. Last year, Bellinger batted .272 with 29 home runs and an .813 OPS in his first season in New York. Over the offseason, Bellinger signed a five-year, $162.5 million contract with the Yankees ahead of this season after opting out of his previous deal. This season, a slashline of .254/.345/.421 and 11 home runs to go with a 114 OPS+ and steady defense in 94 games earned him a special trip to Philly’s All-Star Game. “My first few years in the big leagues, I was here in two of my first three years,” Bellinger said. “I was, like, ‘Oh, I’ll be here every year.’ It took a long time to get back. It’s such a competitive league. It’s hard to be an All-Star. Health, performance, it all has to come together. Honestly, this one, I just really enjoyed it.” The honor arrived at a fitting personal moment, too. Bellinger turned 31 on Monday, celebrating his birthday by watching the Home Run Derby with his kids, before starting in right field the next day. Teammates and opponents alike took note of the milestone. Tigers veteran Justin Verlander, who at 43 years old participated in his final All-Star Game before retirement, needled Bellinger about still being “young” during pregame All-Star festivities on his birthday. “I think my favorite part of this weekend was the Derby,” Bellinger said. “It was a really cool experience. I had the kids on the field. It’s kind of something you always saw on TV and wanted to experience.” Bellinger, once non-tendered and unwanted, is now again one of the faces of the league. It’s proof, in his words, that “it’s not always going to be good. You just have to keep on putting your best foot forward and trying to become the best player you can be.” “Baseball is the craziest game in the world,” he said. “It really is. Sometimes it’s unexplainable.”