Bellinger wins All-Star MVP after early hit sparks AL victory
Cody Bellinger drove in two runs in the first inning as the American League beat the National League 4-0 in Philadelphia.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
Cody Bellinger was voted the 2026 MLB All-Star Game MVP after his first-inning single helped send the American League to a 4-0 win over the National League on Tuesday night. The Associated Press reported that the Yankees center fielder delivered a two-run hit off Cristopher Sanchez at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
Bellinger received the award with his family on hand, according to AP. His daughters, Caiden and Cy, joined him on the field with his wife, Chase, for photos after Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt presented the honor.
His father, former Yankees player Clay Bellinger, watched from the back of the room as Cody spoke after the game. Clay told AP it was “pretty cool” to be there with his son after the performance.
A Yankees milestone
AP reported that Bellinger became the fourth Yankees player to win the All-Star Game MVP award. He joined Derek Jeter, who won it in 2000, Mariano Rivera in 2013 and Giancarlo Stanton in 2022.
Bellinger said wearing the Yankees uniform carries weight. “Wearing this jersey — I feel proud wearing it,” he said, according to AP. “It comes with a lot.”
The All-Star award came during a season in which Bellinger had been a central part of New York’s offense after returning to the club on a five-year, $162.5 million contract last winter, AP reported. He was batting .280 through mid-June before a slump left him at .254 entering the break, and he had not homered in a month.
Bellinger told AP he felt he had been improving despite the recent numbers. “Baseball is the craziest game in the world,” he said. “Sometimes it’s unexplainable.”
A long road back
Bellinger turned 31 on Monday, one day before the All-Star Game. AP reported that he was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fourth round in 2013 and made his first All-Star team in 2017, the same year he was named National League Rookie of the Year.
He reached another peak in 2019, when he hit 47 home runs, made his second All-Star team and won the NL MVP award. Bellinger told AP that early success made him think he would return to the All-Star stage every year, but he said the league’s level made that difficult.
His career then stalled for several seasons. AP reported that he dealt with calf, hamstring and rib injuries in 2021, was released after the 2022 season and then signed a one-year, $17.5 million deal with the Chicago Cubs.
Bellinger rebounded with Chicago, batting a career-best .307 with 29 home runs and 97 RBIs, AP reported. He later signed an $80 million, three-year contract with the Cubs, then was traded to the Yankees after an injury-affected season.
Clay Bellinger played for the Yankees from 1999 to 2001 and won two World Series titles before finishing his major league career with the Anaheim Angels in 2002, according to AP. He said he knew his son was talented, but not to this level.
Clay also told AP that Cody’s choice to remain with the Yankees made sense because he enjoys the team, the city and playing at Yankee Stadium. For Bellinger, the All-Star MVP added another turn to a career that has already moved through early stardom, injury setbacks and a return to the spotlight.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.