Dodgers: Comparing Cody Bellinger to the best Dodger rookies ever

So now – some perspective. The ballyhooed Bellinger is having a spectacular season by all counts and measures. In addition to the National League rookie home run 80-game record, Bellinger is on pace for 45 home runs and 109 RBI in only 130 games.

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His .973 OPS ranks ninth in the National League, and the Dodgers have the best record in baseball since his call-up. His .269 batting average is a little low and the 92 strikeouts in 80 games are very high, so his game still has room for improvement.

One key element of Bellinger that goes overlooked is his rock-solid defense at both first base and left field, giving him an element of versatility that is not often found in rookies. Of his 28 home runs, 15 have come in the seventh inning or later, showing his propensity for clutch hitting – a skill that will be tested come September and October.

But it is still early. Bellinger is young and so is the season. Though the Rookie of the Year award is all but locked up, for him to crack the top three Dodger Rookie of the Year award winners all-time, he will need to leave a legacy and have an impact beyond the scoresheet.

Piazza remained the greatest offensive force the sport ever saw while Fernando Valenzuela won a World Series as a rookie and awakened the core of the Dodgers current fan base.

Jackie Robinson will forever hold the title – well, at least as long as the award is literally named after him – and for Bellinger to be considered even the fourth best Dodger Rookie of the Year of all time is quite an accomplishment.