Cody Bellinger Just Joined Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera in Yankees History

Cody Bellinger spent most of June trying to remember how to hit. Then he flipped a switch, got hot, and carried that right into the All-Star Game.

Tuesday night in Philadelphia, Bellinger stepped in against Phillies lefty Cristopher Sanchez with two on and one out in the first inning. The home crowd wanted Sanchez to eat him alive. Instead, Bellinger punched a two-run single the other way, and that was basically all the National League needed. The AL won 5-2. Bellinger got the MVP trophy.

That puts him in a pretty small club. The Yankees have had four All-Star MVPs in franchise history: Derek Jeter (2000), Mariano Rivera (2013), Giancarlo Stanton (2022), and now Bellinger. Two Hall of Famers. A former MVP. And a guy who might be putting his own Hall of Fame case together if he keeps playing like this.

(Rivera’s MVP came in his final season, which is probably the most Mo thing ever. Jeter’s came in the same year he was World Series MVP, so he was just showing off.)

Bellinger’s first half was weird. He looked totally lost for about six weeks. His swing was long, his timing was off, and Yankees fans were starting to wonder if 2024 was a fluke. Then something clicked. He hit .327 with four homers in his last 12 games before the break. The All-Star game just confirmed what everyone saw coming.

“I just wanted to put a good swing on something,” Bellinger told reporters after the game. “He’s tough on lefties. I got a pitch I could handle and didn’t miss it.”

The Yankees have to feel good about that. They’re sitting in first place in the AL East. Aaron Judge is doing Aaron Judge things. And now Bellinger looks like the guy they thought they were getting when they traded for him. A left-handed bat who can play center or left, run the bases, and hit in big spots. That’s exactly what they needed heading into the second half.

The All-Star game doesn’t mean much for the standings. But it does tell you something about a player’s confidence. Bellinger has his back. That might be the scariest thing for the rest of the league.