The New York Yankees have been proactive not only in filling a superstar’s role this winter but also in significantly enhancing a roster that reached the World Series in 2024.
Following the departure of Juan Soto due to a historic contract with the New York Mets, the Yankees have acquired several top players for their rotation, bullpen, and batting lineup. However, after executing a major trade to acquire former Most Valuable Player awardee Cody Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs, some may question whether they are overcompensating for a player who hasn’t fully met his contract expectations.
In 2024, Bellinger posted a line of .266/.325/.426 for the Cubs during the initial year of his three-year, $80 million deal. If his performance at Yankee Stadium doesn’t get better in 2025, he may not represent a significant upgrade over Alex Verdugo, a left fielder currently exploring free agency after a lackluster 2024 season with the Yankees.
In an article for The Athletic, Chris Kirschner pointed out that the advanced stats highlight similarities between the two.
“Similar to Verdugo, Bellinger also fails to make solid contact with the ball, and his Statcast profile is as cold and blue as the departing left fielder,” wrote Kirschner. “Looking at Bellinger’s Statcast page would imply the Yankees acquired a Verdugo 2.0.”
Although Kirschner highlighted that Bellinger possesses greater potential than Verdugo, any comparison made between them might worry Yankees fans. Verdugo posted a line of .233/.291/.356 in his only season with the Yankees.
However, Kirschner noted that although Verdugo found it difficult to “pull the ball,” meaning he had trouble hitting it to his batting side, Bellinger can offer a more effective tactic for the Yankees.
Kirschner observed that Bellinger “hits the ball upward,” which should ideally produce better outcomes than what Verdugo experienced last season.
“Provided he can enhance his pull percentage in 2025, he is likely to achieve the success that Verdugo was unable to attain during his single season with the Yankees,” Kirschner noted. “If Bellinger manages to achieve the pull percentage he had in 2019, he could potentially ease the impact of losing Juan Soto.”
Bellinger received his MVP Award while with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019, along with a Gold Glove Award, a Silver Slugger Award, and an All-Star selection. That is definitely the performance the Yankees should anticipate from the slugger in 2025, instead of one that brings to mind Verdugo.
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