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It’s never easy for a player to adjust to life with the New York Yankees, and Cody Bellinger’s first month in pinstripes in 2025 is proving to be no exception.
The focus recently has been on Devin Williams, the two-time All-Star closer who’s been struggling and was even demoted from his role. But there’s another key offseason acquisition for the Yankees that’s been facing some challenges: outfielder Cody Bellinger.
Bellinger, a former National League MVP and two-time All-Star, has had a rough start to the season. He’s currently hitting just .194 with a .574 OPS through 107 plate appearances, and to make matters worse, he missed two games due to food poisoning. It’s been a tough month overall.
Despite these struggles, the Yankees have kept Bellinger in a prominent spot in the lineup, batting him third behind superstar Aaron Judge on most nights. However, some are starting to wonder if manager Aaron Boone needs to reconsider his decision.
On Tuesday, Chris Landers from FanSided suggested that Boone might need to make a tough call and move Bellinger down in the order. Landers recommended giving the number-three spot to a hotter hitter like Trent Grisham, Paul Goldschmidt, or Ben Rice, instead of leaving Bellinger there while he’s in a slump.
Landers pointed out that Boone has shown no signs of dropping Bellinger from the three-hole, even though the reasoning behind it—keeping Aaron Judge in the second spot and surrounding him with left-handed hitters—only works if Bellinger is producing at the plate. Unfortunately, Bellinger hasn’t been able to deliver, with his inability to make solid contact often cutting short potential rallies for the Yankees.
For a player with Bellinger’s credentials, his inconsistency has been frustrating. After a rough stretch from 2021 to 2022 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he was non-tendered, allowing the Chicago Cubs to sign him to a one-year deal. Bellinger’s time in Chicago appeared to help get his career back on track, but now in New York, he’ll need to make significant adjustments if he wants to live up to his $27.5 million salary for 2025. He also has a $25 million player option for 2026, so his future with the Yankees may hinge on turning things around quickly.