BOSTON — As the Yankees tried to pad their lead in the ninth inning on Saturday, Cody Bellinger delivered one of the team’s most impressive at-bats this season.
With Aaron Judge on second and fellow lefty Aroldis Chapman on the mound, Bellinger won a nine-pitch at-bat with an RBI double. The two-bagger, driven off The Green Monster after four foul balls, gave the Yankees an extra run in their 5-3, series-winning victory over the Red Sox.
“If you look at all the swings, he’s on everything,” Aaron Boone said. “He’s fouling pitches off. It’s full swing. It’s not just like battling and touching it and extending the at-bat and getting a mistake. It’s been impressive what he’s done against lefties.”
Bellinger, who took a 1.031 OPS against southpaws into Sunday’s series finale, said he was “just trying to pass the baton” after getting a hold of a 96.9-mph fastball from Chapman, baseball’s top closer this season. He went on to say that he was merely trying to get a “red-hot” Jazz Chisholm Jr., waiting on deck, up to bat, as the second baseman already had three RBI and a home run in the game.
Yet it was the at-bat from Bellinger, who also drove in a run with a first-inning sac fly, that commanded the most attention postgame.
“That was sick,” said Chisholm, who has always dreamed of getting a hit off Chapman. “I want to hit his fastball, which is one of the best ever.”
“He’s been one of, if not the, best relievers in baseball,” Max Fried added. “Left on left, that’s not an easy thing to do. [Chapman’s] throwing 100 and a couple of really good secondary pitches. [Bellinger] did what he did the whole entire year, which is put together a good at-bat and hit a ball off The Monster in a really big spot for us.”
All nine pitches from Cody Bellinger’s at bat against Aroldis Chapman pic.twitter.com/IlQUDvL9sH
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) September 13, 2025
As Fried noted, Bellinger has been a force throughout his first season with the Yankees.
Acquired from the Cubs for Cody Poteet after the Yankees lost the Juan Soto sweepstakes to the Mets, Bellinger started off slow in April. But the former MVP woke up Sunday with a .278/.334/.500 slash line, 28 home runs, 93 RBI, 11 stolen bases and a 129 wRC+ over 138 games.
Able to tailor his approach to the situation, Bellinger has shown he can vary between slugging the ball, slapping it, and simply putting it in play when needed.
“He can shorten up and go the other way, or he can take you deep pull side,” Fried said of the threat Bellinger poses. “He’s two different types of hitters, and you just gotta make pitches and hope he gets himself out.”
Bellinger has also brought defensive prowess and versatility, totaling five Outs Above Average while playing all three outfield spots, as well as a few innings at first base.
As good as Bellinger has been at the plate, his flexibility has been a talking point for Boone all season.
“I expected a lot, so he’s certainly delivered,” the manager said. “It’s been fun to watch him every day to see his athleticism and his true defensive versatility. It’s one thing to talk about it; it’s real. And then his athleticism on the bases, how fast he is and how good he’s been against left-handed pitching this year. We felt like the power would play in our ballpark. It certainly has. But he’s been a great player.”
Aaron Judge, meanwhile, called Bellinger “underrated” after his teammate picked up a ribbie in Friday’s win.
“I don’t think he gets enough credit for what he does for this team,” Judge continued.
The question now — or at least the one that is coming soon — is how much longer Bellinger will do all he does for the Yankees.
The 30-year-old has a $25 million player option for 2026, but the expectation is that Bellinger, a Scott Boras client, will opt out and become a free agent.
On Friday, Brian Cashman declined to comment on Bellinger’s future, which should include a multi-year deal. However, the general manager did praise Bellinger for his contributions this season.
“He’s a hell of a player on both sides of the ball,” Cashman said. “He’s been a positive addition. He really has, so I’m glad we were able to run into him this offseason when we did. He’s really helped lengthen our lineup and improve our defense in a big way.”
While the Yankees have other outfield decisions to make — Trent Grisham is also headed for free agency, while Jasson Domínguez and Spencer Jones are young, cheap factors — it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Bellinger stick around.
Cashman, quoting Boras, has said that Bellinger wanted to wear pinstripes before this season. Now that he is, the son of former Yankees utilityman Clay Bellinger seems comfortable on and off the field.
Bellinger’s preference is to focus on the present, but he hasn’t shied away from the fact that he’s rather cozy in a Yankees uniform.
“It’s been really fun. I’m enjoying it,” he said before shifting his focus to a matter more pressing than his impending offseason choices. “Anytime that you can get meaningful games in September, that’s really all you can ask for, right? We’re all here for one goal, and so are a lot of other teams in this league, so we just focus on ourselves in here and continue to try and play our best baseball.”
