{"id":59988,"date":"2025-05-09T07:12:09","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T07:12:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=59988"},"modified":"2025-05-09T07:13:08","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T07:13:08","slug":"the-yankees-sleeping-dragon-just-woke-up-and-it-could-change-everything","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=59988","title":{"rendered":"The Yankees’ sleeping dragon just woke up\u2014and it could change everything"},"content":{"rendered":"
Baseball is a game of timing\u2014whether it\u2019s squaring up a fastball or finally breaking out of a season-long slump.<\/p>\n
For the New York Yankees, Cody Bellinger\u2019s bat waking up might be the most important development in their 2025 campaign.<\/p>\n
A rocky start after big expectations<\/h2>\n
When the Yankees acquired Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs, he was expected to help shoulder the loss of Juan Soto\u2019s production.<\/p>\n
At 29 years old, he brought pedigree, pop, and versatility. But for much of the season\u2019s early stretch, he was nearly invisible.<\/p>\nCredit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Slashing just .215\/.288\/.388, Bellinger struggled to find his rhythm at the plate, often looking a step behind fastballs and rolling over off-speed pitches.<\/p>\n
He did manage five home runs during that stretch, but the quality of contact simply wasn\u2019t up to par with what the Yankees needed.<\/p>\n
The tide may finally be turning<\/h2>\n
Over the past two weeks, though, Bellinger\u2019s numbers have begun trending in the right direction.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s hitting .239\/.345\/.435 during that stretch, showing improved plate discipline and better pitch selection in key situations.<\/p>\n
Wednesday\u2019s performance against Dylan Cease was a turning point, both statistically and emotionally, for the Yankees\u2019 lineup.<\/p>\n
Cease had carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning before Bellinger stepped in and changed the momentum with one swing.<\/p>\n
His solo home run tied the game at one, setting the stage for a thrilling 4\u20133 win that might not have happened otherwise.<\/p>\n
When Bellinger gets hot, he can carry a team<\/h2>\n
Bellinger isn\u2019t just a complementary piece when he\u2019s clicking\u2014he can be a focal point in the heart of any lineup.<\/p>\n
When healthy and confident, his swing generates loud contact, and he becomes the kind of hitter who can carry an offense for weeks.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s exactly what the Yankees envisioned when they brought him in, hoping he could recreate some of the MVP-caliber magic from earlier in his career.<\/p>\n
With Aaron Judge anchoring the lineup, Bellinger turning into his old self would make this offense far more dangerous and multidimensional.<\/p>\nCredit: David Richard-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Replacing Soto\u2019s value was always a team effort<\/h2>\n
There was no one-for-one replacement for Juan Soto after his departure, which is why the Yankees took a more balanced approach.<\/p>\n
Adding Bellinger was a piece of that puzzle, banking on his upside and postseason experience to make up for Soto\u2019s absence.<\/p>\n
The plan hinged on patience\u2014and now that Bellinger is showing signs of life, that patience may start to pay off.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s still plenty of season left, and if Bellinger catches fire, the Yankees\u2019 offense could finally reach the ceiling many expected.<\/p>\n
Popular Reading:<\/strong><\/p>\n
The Yankees really struck gold with untouchable pitcher<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Cody Bellinger is finally heating up for the Yankees after a cold start, and it couldn\u2019t come at a more critical time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":59990,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-59988","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n
The Yankees' sleeping dragon just woke up\u2014and it could change everything - News 365<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=59988\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Yankees' sleeping dragon just woke up\u2014and it could change everything - News 365\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Cody Bellinger is finally heating up for the Yankees after a cold start, and it couldn\u2019t come at a more critical time.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=59988\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"News 365\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-05-09T07:12:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-09T07:13:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Thiet-ke-chua-co-ten-1-35.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"MrLuu\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"MrLuu\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=59988\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=59988\",\"name\":\"The Yankees' sleeping dragon just woke up\u2014and it could change everything - News 365\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=59988#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=59988#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Thiet-ke-chua-co-ten-1-35.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-09T07:12:09+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-09T07:13:08+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4b0ce8eb15dad4ee0f31887a7eb66fb6\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=59988#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=59988\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=59988#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Thiet-ke-chua-co-ten-1-35.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Thiet-ke-chua-co-ten-1-35.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":1000},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=59988#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Yankees’ sleeping dragon just woke up\u2014and it could change everything\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/\",\"name\":\"News 365\",\"description\":\"Your Daily Dose of Sports News and Updates\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4b0ce8eb15dad4ee0f31887a7eb66fb6\",\"name\":\"MrLuu\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/27290e42aedd9867dbebe2f5dbfd5135e0d4cac63c12fabb4e8d0e4472737a5b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/27290e42aedd9867dbebe2f5dbfd5135e0d4cac63c12fabb4e8d0e4472737a5b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"MrLuu\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?author=6\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Yankees' sleeping dragon just woke up\u2014and it could change everything - News 365","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=59988","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Yankees' sleeping dragon just woke up\u2014and it could change everything - News 365","og_description":"Cody Bellinger is finally heating up for the Yankees after a cold start, and it couldn\u2019t come at a more critical time.","og_url":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=59988","og_site_name":"News 365","article_published_time":"2025-05-09T07:12:09+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-05-09T07:13:08+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1000,"height":1000,"url":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Thiet-ke-chua-co-ten-1-35.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"MrLuu","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"MrLuu","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=59988","url":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=59988","name":"The Yankees' sleeping dragon just woke up\u2014and it could change everything - News 365","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=59988#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=59988#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Thiet-ke-chua-co-ten-1-35.jpg","datePublished":"2025-05-09T07:12:09+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-09T07:13:08+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4b0ce8eb15dad4ee0f31887a7eb66fb6"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=59988#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=59988"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=59988#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Thiet-ke-chua-co-ten-1-35.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Thiet-ke-chua-co-ten-1-35.jpg","width":1000,"height":1000},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=59988#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Yankees’ sleeping dragon just woke up\u2014and it could change everything"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/","name":"News 365","description":"Your Daily Dose of Sports News and Updates","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4b0ce8eb15dad4ee0f31887a7eb66fb6","name":"MrLuu","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/27290e42aedd9867dbebe2f5dbfd5135e0d4cac63c12fabb4e8d0e4472737a5b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/27290e42aedd9867dbebe2f5dbfd5135e0d4cac63c12fabb4e8d0e4472737a5b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"MrLuu"},"url":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?author=6"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59988","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=59988"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59988\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59991,"href":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59988\/revisions\/59991"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/59990"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=59988"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=59988"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=59988"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"The](\"https:\/\/empiresportsmedia.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/width=1250,height=833,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/MLB-New-York-Yankees-at-Baltimore-Orioles-cody-bellinger-26047153.jpg\")
![\"The](\"https:\/\/empiresportsmedia.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/width=1220,height=813,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/MLB-New-York-Yankees-at-Cleveland-Guardians-cody-bellinger-25988708.jpg\")