MIAMI -- The crack of Cody Bellinger's bat on the first pitch he saw during the Yankees¡¯ exhibition game on Tuesday afternoon echoed throughout loanDepot park with resounding resonance.
Granted, the stadium wasn¡¯t fully occupied for the team¡¯s final showcase before Opening Day -- which ended in a 4-2 loss to the Marlins -- but the Yankees are hoping the sound reverberates throughout ballparks all season long.
Bellinger, who was acquired in a trade with the Cubs on Dec. 17, went 2-for-2 with two runs scored against the Marlins, adding a fourth-inning single to the first-inning home run that left the bat at 102.7 mph, according to Statcast. The 2019 National League MVP figures to be a key cog in the Yanks¡¯ lineup after the team lost Juan Soto to free agency. New York will look for extra pop from him early on with Giancarlo Stanton sidelined.
For Bellinger, he¡¯s not looking to fill any portion of Soto¡¯s shoes, but rather chart out his own path for the pinstripes.
¡°There¡¯s no denying what Juan Soto brought to this team last year,¡± Bellinger said before the game. ¡°Just his ability to get on base, the presence in the lineup. ... I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a matter of replacing him, I think it¡¯s a matter of coming out and just understanding what I can do. I want to play to the best of my capability, and I know Paul [Goldschmidt] does as well. So that¡¯s what we¡¯re gonna strive for.¡±
Goldschmidt, Bellinger¡¯s new teammate, is the other big-name masher the Yankees brought in to bolster their lineup during the offseason. The 2022 NL MVP, who clubbed three home runs in Spring Training, while hitting .308, spoke highly of the team¡¯s camaraderie. Goldschmidt explained that while he¡¯s technically ¡°the new guy,¡± he hasn¡¯t felt like a stranger in the clubhouse.
¡°It hasn¡¯t felt like [I¡¯m a newcomer],¡± Goldschmidt said. He detailed the ongoing continuance of the relationship he built with Aaron Judge a few years back.
¡°I always try to learn from other players and talk with them,¡± Goldschmidt explained. ¡°When I was living in Jupiter and he was in Tampa, [I] was able to connect with him through a mutual teammate. ... Just took a day to meet up with him and a couple of the guys, and just get together and learn and talk baseball.
¡°After that, it¡¯s not like we¡¯ve been close friends, but [we] text here and there, and just kind of stay in touch. He¡¯s such a great player and great teammate. ... I¡¯ve heard so many great things about this organization, so I think that as well as having him here [is why I came here.]¡±
For Judge, this year's version of the Yankees has a similar vibe to the one that made a World Series trip last year.
¡°Not really,¡± Judge said when asked if this team felt different due to the roster¡¯s turnover ¡°Because of the veteran guys that we brought in. Great guy like Paul Goldschmidt, who¡¯s been around the game for so long, and just professional through and through. He fits right in.
¡°A guy like Cody Bellinger -- former MVP -- another guy that just slides right in. A great teammate. There are some new faces, some new names in here, but every single guy in here is ready to play for the Yankees.¡±
Bellinger has one thing Judge and Goldschmidt don¡¯t: a World Series ring, which he acquired during the Dodgers¡¯ title run of 2020. Bellinger spoke on what¡¯s required of the group to make off with one come October.
¡°The culture definitely,¡± Bellinger said, ¡°and I think it's understanding it takes everybody. People in this room that don't even know they're going to help are probably going to help at some point in the season. So it takes everybody.
¡°The culture here is great. I think we have a good group of guys.¡±
Yankees manager Aaron Boone, meanwhile, has great things to say about the star outfielder.
¡°Bellinger¡¯s spring -- just more good,¡± Boone said following the two-time All-Star¡¯s impressive Tuesday at the plate. ¡°He¡¯s been really dialed in, seems like from jump. That¡¯s kind of what we¡¯ve seen almost every time out, it feels like, along with just the defensive versatility, which has been excellent.
¡°It¡¯s been a great spring for him, but that¡¯s all it is, too. It¡¯s spring, especially for guys that are established. But I like where he¡¯s at, certainly.¡±
Bellinger, who comprises part of the fourth father-son duo in Yankees history -- his father, Clay, was a Yankee from 1999-2001 -- has posted gaudy numbers this spring: a .423 average with 22 hits, including four home runs, and eight RBIs.
Bellinger, Judge and Goldschmidt form a terrifying trifecta for opposing pitchers in the middle of the Yankees¡¯ order. And Boone is hoping the trio haunts opponents¡¯ dreams as New York prepares for Opening Day against Milwaukee on Thursday.