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Los Angeles Dodgers: Everything we know about the team’s identity

By Jason Reed

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 14: Cody Bellinger #35 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates in the dugout after scoring off a two RBI single by Alex Verdugo #27 against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at Dodger Stadium on April 14, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 14: Cody Bellinger #35 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates in the dugout after scoring off a two RBI single by Alex Verdugo #27 against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at Dodger Stadium on April 14, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Dodgers
(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Dodgers /

1. Cody Bellinger is the heart and soul of this team

For most of the last decade, Clayton Kershaw has served as the heart and soul of the Los Angeles Dodgers and has helped drive them into the playoffs, even when they should not have made it. However, because of his multiple injuries, the Dodgers didn’t really have that key heart and soul piece last year.

Sure, Justin Turner and Manny Machado served as the everyday players but the Dodgers were constantly shuffling pieces because of that lacking heart and soul. This year, it is obvious that Cody Bellinger is the new heart and soul of this team.

What Bellinger has been doing thus far has been absolutely ludicrous and he is putting up video game-like numbers.

Bellinger is hitting .424 with 11 home runs, 28 RBIs and 26 runs. He leads the majors in average, slugging and OPS and trails just Christian Yelich in home runs and RBIs.

He has done it at the plate and he has done it on the field. He has used the power in his swing to deliver massive hits and he has used his speed to beat out infield singles. Heck, he is even slapping the ball the other way with two-strikes to get runs home.

Everything Bellinger has done thus far this season has produced runs. His 43 total runs contributed (which is RBIs + runs – home runs) accounts for 31.6 percent of the Dodgers’ total runs.

He won’t finish the year over .400 and will not hit the 70 home runs and 170 RBIs that he is on pace for. However, it is quite apparent that he is the most important player to the Dodgers in 2019.

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