For most of the 2025 season, Yankees‘ Cody Bellinger looked like a ghost in the middle of a thunderstorm—present but nowhere near impactful.
On Friday night against the Mets, he finally roared back to life.
And if the Yankees get this version of Bellinger moving forward, their offense might go from great to downright terrifying.
A cold start with signs of warmth
The Yankees’ offense hasn’t exactly needed Bellinger to be elite so far this year.
They’ve been one of the best units in baseball and just dropped six runs on the Mets’ top arms to open the Subway Series.
But adding a dangerous, confident Bellinger changes the entire dynamic.
The 29-year-old picked up three hits and scored twice on Friday night, looking like a hitter who’s found his rhythm again.
That’s no small thing for a player who started ice cold.
Through the early part of the season, Bellinger limped to a .242/.308/.403 line with just five home runs and a .711 OPS.
Not the production you expect from a player earning $25 million—and certainly not from one trying to prove he’s worth a long-term deal.
Trending up at the perfect time
Bellinger’s overall numbers still leave something to be desired, but zoom in closer and there’s momentum.
Over the last two weeks, he’s hitting .283/.340/.457.
His plate discipline has tightened up, his power is re-emerging, and the contact is more consistent.
The Yankees acquired him for this exact version—someone who can turn the tide of a game from the left side and play quality defense.
Add in his positional versatility in the outfield and at first base, and you’re starting to see the value take shape.
A contract year… sort of
While Bellinger technically has a player option for 2026, this season functions like a contract year.
If he rebounds fully, he’ll likely opt out and chase another long-term deal in free agency.
If not, he can fall back on the $25 million guarantee.
Right now, the trajectory leans toward him at least giving the Yankees something to think about.
That’s a far cry from where things stood a month ago.
Yankees offense still has another gear
Even with Bellinger heating up, the Yankees are navigating some infield uncertainty.
Jazz Chisholm is still working back from injury, and third base has been a revolving door since Oswaldo Cabrera went down.
DJ LeMahieu is back, but expectations are tempered until he proves himself over time.
General manager Brian Cashman will likely shop for help in July—but until then, players like Bellinger stepping up could buy valuable time.
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