NEW YORK — From his vantage in left field, New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger could hear the cascades of jeers, chants and vitriol directed toward home plate in the first inning Friday as Juan Soto stepped into the batter’s box wearing a New York Mets uniform.
“It was loud, it was loud,” Bellinger said after a 6-2 Yankees victory at Yankee Stadium on the first night of the Subway Series. “I wouldn’t say I was surprised, no. But it was definitely loud.”
The careers of Bellinger and Soto now contain a link. Six days after Soto spurned the Yankees to sign a $765 million contract with the Mets, the Yankees pivoted to acquire Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs and plug a hole in the outfield. On a night when Yankee Stadium focused its ire on Soto, Bellinger continued an offensive upswing. He provided three hits and scored twice.
When Bellinger joined the Yankees, he recognized the void created by Soto’s departure. He could not ignore the obvious. But he insisted it had not affected his psyche. Bellinger will not make Yankees fans forget Juan Soto. But if Bellinger sustains his success, as part of an improving offense, he can help the Yankees move forward without their former No. 2 hitter.
“I understood what was going on,” Bellinger said. “But I’ve never tried to replace him. I’m always trying to be the best version of myself, every single day.”
In these past few weeks, the Yankees are starting to see glimpses of that player. On Friday, he extended his hitting streak to 11 games. After posting a .638 OPS at the end of April, Bellinger has hit .314 this month. He ended Friday night with his OPS up to .711, his best mark since the season’s first week.
That represents a small but meaningful improvement for a lineup that seeks to offer more support for Aaron Judge as he surges toward yet another American League MVP. Paul Goldschmidt collected two hits of his own Friday with two RBIs. Trent Grisham reached base twice. Jasson Dominguez notched an RBI and walked twice. (Judge, almost as an afterthought, went 2-for-4 with a walk.)
Goldy gets us started 👊 pic.twitter.com/BU2yklrAhr
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 17, 2025
The combination of useful contributions from new additions such as Bellinger and Goldschmidt matched with increased consistency from younger hitters such as Dominguez, Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells has buoyed manager Aaron Boone’s mood. Boone noted Bellinger’s final at-bat Friday, which ended in Soto’s glove on the right-field warning track, as “just missed the last one.”
“He’s a good player,” Boone added. “I feel like his swing decisions have been better. I felt like there was a stretch there where he was leaving the zone a lot, a little bit off-balance. That’s been a lot better.”
Bellinger’s versatility creates options for Boone. On the recent road trip to the West Coast, Bellinger started at all three outfield positions and finished another game at first base.
“Belli (is) a great defensive player in the outfield, or any defensive position you put him in,” said starter Carlos Rodón, who logged five innings of one-run baseball.
Bellinger, who turns 30 in July, may not be able to replicate the power stroke he demonstrated in his early seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, including his National League MVP campaign in 2019. He suffered a series of injuries, which led to the Dodgers non-tendering him after the 2022 campaign. Bellinger rebounded with the Cubs the next season but saw his slugging percentage dip nearly 100 points to .426 in 2024.
The Yankees were hopeful that the dimensions in the Bronx could coax more power out of Bellinger. He homered in his second game at Yankee Stadium as part of the torpedo-bat barrage against Milwaukee. Then he went cold. He stayed that way for most of the first month.
“I had some good conversations with the hitting coaches about what I was doing early on,” Bellinger said. “I’m chasing pitches. ‘Why am I chasing pitches?’ (I’ve been) minimizing those mistakes and capitalizing on those mistakes.”
A two-hit game against Baltimore on April 29 revived Bellinger’s slash line. His hitting streak started May 3. On Friday, he turned around a 97 mph fastball from Mets starter Tylor Megill in the first inning, legged out an infield single in the third and smacked a double in the fourth. In between the second and third hits, he came home on a sacrifice fly down the right-field line. Bellinger beat Soto’s throw with ease.
“I’m feeling good with my mechanics and everything,” Bellinger said. “Ultimately, it’s about swinging at the right pitches, having a good plan and preparing every day to try and help this team win.”
(Photo: Sarah Stier / Getty Images)