And while Bellinger is a former MVP, it’s hard to predict what to expect from him in 2025. After his MVP season with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019, his performance cratered, reaching a nadir in 2021, when, in an injury-shortened season, he hit .165 with -1.7 bWAR. His 2022 season was better, but still below-average, and he signed with the Chicago Cubs in 2023 looking to salvage his career.
Bellinger did exactly that, hitting .307 with 26 home runs in 2023, before taking a small step back this past season. Despite his inconsistency, insiders think he is set up to succeed in New York.
“People believe Yankee Stadium is going to be a good fit for him,” MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand said in the aftermath of the trade. “Left-handed guys with power certainly seem to thrive in that ballpark with the short right field porch. He’s not going to have to come in and be an MVP in the middle of the lineup.”
Without the pressure of needing to carry a lineup, but with a considerable advantage like that short Yankee Stadium porch, here are some way-too-early predictions for how Bellinger can perform in 2025.