In Philadelphia, Cody Bellinger celebrated a remarkable achievement as he accepted the Most Valuable Player award at the All-Star Game. His young daughters were by his side, and his father, Clay Bellinger, watched proudly. ‘Just being able to hang out and watching him win an award, it’s pretty cool,’ said former Yankee Clay Bellinger, following Cody’s impressive two-run single in the first inning off Cristopher Sánchez, leading the American League to a 4-0 victory on Tuesday night.
Cody re-signed with the Yankees last winter, agreeing to a $162.5 million, five-year contract, playing a crucial role in the team’s offense. Before the All-Star break, he was batting .280 but experienced a slump, dropping his average to .254. Despite not hitting a home run for a month, Cody and his father, Clay Bellinger, share a unique bond through baseball. ‘Baseball is the craziest game in the world. It really is. Sometimes it’s unexplainable,’ Cody remarked. ‘Going into the break, I actually was feeling pretty good. I felt like I was on the right track.’
Clay Bellinger played as an outfielder and infielder for the Yankees from 1999 to 2001, winning two World Series titles before ending his career with the Anaheim Angels in 2002. Cody was only five years old when his father won his second World Series title. Reflecting on Cody’s success, Clay expressed surprise at his son’s achievements. ‘I knew he was good, but not this good,’ he admitted.
Cody became the fourth Yankees player to win the All-Star Game MVP, joining the ranks of Derek Jeter (2000), Mariano Rivera (2013), and Giancarlo Stanton (2022). Following the MLB All-Star Game on July 14, 2026, Cody posed proudly with the MVP trophy in Philadelphia. ‘Wearing this jersey — I feel proud wearing it,’ he said. ‘It comes with a lot.’
Turning 31 recently, Cody was initially drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2013. He made the All-Star team in 2017 and earned the NL Rookie of the Year title. In 2019, he hit 47 home runs and was voted as the NL MVP, marking his second All-Star team appearance. ‘I was, like, ‘Oh, I’ll be here every year,” Cody shared. ‘It took a long time to get back. It’s such a competitive league.’ His journey included three consecutive seasons of underperformance due to injuries in 2021, which led to his release following the 2022 season. He then signed a one-year deal with the Cubs, worth $17.5 million.
Cody excelled with the Cubs, hitting a career-high .307 with 29 home runs and 97 RBIs. After becoming a free agent again, he secured an $80 million, three-year contract with the Cubs. Despite another challenging, injury-prone season, he was eventually traded to the Yankees. Cody explored his free-agent options but ultimately chose to stay in New York. ‘He loves it there,’ Clay stated. ‘He loves the teammates, loves the city, loves playing in Yankee Stadium. So, it was kind of a no-brainer.’
Cody’s daughters, Caiden and Cy, joined him on the field for photographs after he received his award from Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt, along with his wife, Chase. ‘You always hope for your kids to do well, whether or not it’s playing baseball or doing whatever they like to do,’ Clay expressed. ‘He’s been pretty good at it for quite a long time.’
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