Baseball never saw anything quite like the Yeli & Belli Show of 2019. Christian Yelich of the Brewers, then 27, and Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers, 23, played a game of statistical H-O-R-S-E within a season that made for exciting baseball and amusing national TV ads. They finished first and second, respectively, in slugging and OPS, but it was Bellinger who won the MVP over Yelich, the ’18 MVP.
In amazing displays of five-tool prowess, Yelich and Bellinger slashed better than .300/.400/.600 with at least 44 homers and 15 stolen bases. It marked the first season in which two players so young reached those levels. Only four players under 27 preceded them: Babe Ruth (1921), Willie Mays (’55), Ken Griffey Jr. (’93) and Chipper Jones (’99).
Walking in the footsteps of first-ballot Hall of Fame giants, Yeli and Belli seemed destined for greatness. The traditional prime years of a ballplayer still lay ahead.
