Cody Bellinger didn’t have much time to admire it. He rounded first, eyes fixed on the ground, then gave a subtle nod as he trotted toward second. The ball had landed several rows deep in right field before the Tampa Bay outfielders even turned around.
There was no elaborate bat flip. Just a quiet moment between a veteran hitter and a personal milestone.
The New York Yankees outfielder launched the 200th home run of his Major League career Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium, a two-run shot in the bottom of the sixth that briefly gave life to a game New York was struggling to stay in. It was Bellinger’s fourth homer of the year and his second in the last five games, part of a modest hot stretch that has coincided with the Yankees’ continued search for offensive rhythm. KHMER55
“Just another step” for the veteran slugger
“It’s a cool number, for sure,” Cody Bellinger said afterward. “You never really think about those kinds of things when you’re younger. You just play. But I’m grateful. Hopefully it’s just another step.”
The 412-foot blast off a hanging cutter from Rays starter Taj Bradley cut the Yankees’ deficit to 5-3. For a moment, the Bronx stirred. But the comeback attempt fizzled as Tampa Bay closed out a 7-5 win to take the series.
Cody Bellinger joined a small group of active players to reach the 200-homer mark before turning 30. He did it in style, with his classic inside-out swing driving the ball into the seats in right—a swing that helped him win NL MVP honors in 2019 and one that, after a few turbulent seasons, has started to look sharper again in 2025.
This wasn’t just another round-number stat. It was a reminder of what the Yankees hoped they were getting when they signed Cody Bellinger in the offseason: a stabilizing left-handed bat with postseason experience and the kind of swing that plays in October.
“He’s been around winning baseball for a long time,” manager Aaron Boone said. “And when you have guys who’ve been through the highs and lows, guys who’ve adjusted and bounced back the way he has, those are voices you want in the room.”
Cody Bellinger’s path to 200 has hardly been linear. After bursting onto the scene with the Dodgers in 2017—winning NL Rookie of the Year and later anchoring a championship team in 2020—his career hit a wall. Shoulder injuries. Swing tinkering. Questions about whether he’d ever rediscover the form that once made him one of the most dangerous hitters in the National League.
But over the past year and a half, first with the Cubs and now in pinstripes, Cody Bellinger has rebuilt his approach. There’s more discipline in his at-bats. Fewer empty swings. A renewed ability to barrel pitches he was missing during those lean years.
That growth showed again Sunday in the sixth inning. Bradley had attacked Cody Bellinger with cutters and fastballs in his first two at-bats, and when he left one up, Bellinger didn’t miss.
The Yankees, trailing 5-1 at the time, suddenly had a pulse.
Late push comes up short
But the Rays answered with two more runs in the seventh, capitalizing on shaky command from the Yankees bullpen and timely hits from Jonathan Aranda, who finished with three RBIs. New York made one last push in the bottom of the eighth—a two-run single by rookie Jorbit Vivas made it a two-run game—but that was as close as they’d get.
“We’re in a stretch right now where every game feels like a must-win,” Bellinger said. “But you’ve got to keep grinding. That’s the only way out.”
For the Yankees, the loss dropped them to 18-14 on the year and continued a trend of inconsistent play against AL East opponents. They’ve yet to find consistent production out of the middle of their lineup, and with the heart of the season looming, Boone and his staff are looking for sparks—any kind.
Cody Bellinger’s resurgence could be one of them.
Even in a loss, his milestone provided a moment of clarity. Two hundred home runs don’t come easy, especially for a player who’s had to reinvent himself mid-career. And for a Yankees team still searching for identity, it was something to build on.
“That’s a lot of balls over the fence,” Boone said. “It’s a testament to who he is and how hard he’s worked to keep evolving. I think the fans see that.”
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