“I’m very free, feeling athletic, feeling strong, feeling confident"- Former MVP Cody Bellinger plans to bounce back after pair of nightmarish years

If you wind the clock back to 2019, Cody Bellinger was the biggest name in baseball. Having won the NL Rookie of the Year Award two years prior, the utility outfielder added an MVP Award to his resume.

The then-23-year-old hit .305/.406/.629 with 47 home runs and 115 RBIs in his MVP year. Fans and pundits alike were making bold predictions that he would rule the MLB for years to come.

However, as things rarely go according to plan in baseball, Bellinger proved everyone wrong. His batting average barely topped .200 over the next three seasons, and his annual home run total fell to the low single digits.

Indeed, things got so bad that his team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, released Bellinger after the 2022 season and he subsequently became a free agent. He had the lowest on-base percentage of any qualified player in MLB, at .265 percent.

In December 2022, it was announced that Bellinger would sign a 1-year deal worth $12.5 million with the Chicago Cubs. The deal also includes a $25 million option for 2024 or a $5 million buyout, should Bellinger's woes continue to haunt him.

On the eve of spring training 2023, The Athletic's Sahadev Sharma caught up with Bellinger at the Chicago Cubs' facility in Arizona. When asked by Sharma if he expects to put the debacle of the last two seasons behind him, the 27-year-old said:

"I'm very free, feeling athletic, feeling strong, feeling confident. It's a pretty good combination right there."

"It's rare that a player leaves the Dodgers and it all clicks, but the Cubs and Cody Bellinger hope some very small tweaks and a focus on letting him rely on his athleticism will help get him back on track offensively" - @ Sahadev Sharma

Although Bellinger's markedly forgettable numbers forfeited his spot on one of baseball's best teams, he understands that there is a lot of baseball left ahead of him in his career. Bellinger is set to make his Cubs debut in their first game of the preseason against the San Francisco Giants on February 25th.

"Cub newcomer Cody Bellinger getting his reps in." - @ CubsHQ.com

Cody Bellinger could be the comeback story of the year

Should Cody Bellinger set himself back on course with solid hitting, there is a lot more than $25 million waiting for him on the other side. Although Bellinger's story represents one of the most heinous unravelings of any player in modern history, he has proven he has the skill to compete with the best. Watch out for this guy to play, because he has everything on the line this season.