Yankees’ Bellinger keeps notorious April 20 date for third time in a row

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For the third straight season, Cody Bellinger hit a home run on April 20, and this has led to intensified online discussion about it.

Some baseball coincidences stretch the boundaries of probability. For the third consecutive year, Cody Bellinger has transformed April 20 into his personal power showcase, launching a two-run homer off former teammate Ryan Pepiot that helped secure the New York Yankees’ 4-0 triumph over Tampa Bay. What began as a statistical oddity has evolved into something approaching baseball lore – a pattern too consistent to dismiss as mere happenstance.

As the Yankees continue their impressive early-season campaign, Bellinger’s annual April 20th power display has graduated from curious footnote to social media sensation, with fans and analysts alike embracing the “Mr. 420” moniker that grows more fitting with each passing season.

A date with destiny — again

Bellinger’s eighth-inning blast on Sunday marked his second home run of 2025, providing valuable insurance runs behind Max Fried’s masterful pitching performance. Yet the timing of the hit – rather than its impact on the scoreboard – generated the most attention.

For the third straight April 20, Bellinger connected for a home run, continuing a streak that has peculiar connections to cannabis culture’s unofficial holiday. The synchronicity extended further last season when his 4/20 home run traveled precisely 420 feet. This year’s installment featured the added wrinkle of coming against Pepiot, a former minor league teammate from their days in the Dodgers organization.

Memes, rumors, and reality

The internet’s fascination with Bellinger’s supposed connection to cannabis culture predates his April 20 hitting streak. His relaxed demeanor and distinctive facial expressions spawned countless memes suggesting he appears perpetually dazed during games – a characterization he addressed directly in a 2020 interview.

“I am not high during the games, OK?” he clarified with good humor, explaining that even as a Little League World Series participant, people commented that he “looked faded.”

Since MLB removed marijuana from its banned substance list for players on 40-man rosters in 2020, the jokes have remained largely innocuous. However, Bellinger’s uncanny April 20 productivity has intensified the online commentary.

One social media user declared, “Cody Bellinger has hit three consecutive 4/20 home runs and will be known as Mr. April/Mr. 420 from hence forth.” Another quipped, “He’s never beating the allegations,” while a third compared him to “The Nick Castellanos of the stoner community” – referencing the Phillies outfielder known for hitting homers during somber broadcast moments.

Through it all, Bellinger appears unbothered by the narrative, focusing instead on contributing to the Yankees’ winning formula.

Bellinger’s Bronx start: Slow yet loud

Beyond Sunday’s timely homer, Bellinger’s Yankees tenure has started below expectations statistically. Through 22 games, his batting line sits at a modest .186/.239/.288 with just two home runs, one triple, and 10 RBIs. His strikeout rate has spiked to 29.3% across 67 plate appearances, significantly higher than his 21.2% career average.

Yet beneath these surface-level concerns lie encouraging signs. Bellinger’s average exit velocity has reached 90.3 mph – his highest mark since his 2019 NL MVP campaign. His 51.2% hard-hit rate would establish a new career high if maintained.

As noted by The Athletic’s Owen Poindexter, “The .229 BABIP will come up, and at some point, he’ll discover the short right porch at Yankee Stadium. Something is clearly off with him, but I’d still put him as a modest buy-low.”

The underlying metrics suggest Bellinger’s offensive breakthrough may be imminent, despite the current statistical shortfall.

Strategic acquisition meeting mutual interest

New York’s offseason trade for Bellinger from Chicago represented more than opportunistic talent acquisition. The Yankees absorbed most of his remaining two-year, $52.5 million contract, sending right-handed reliever Cody Poteet to the Cubs in return. The transaction fulfilled the longstanding mutual interest between the player and the organization.

“He’s someone that wants to be here,” general manager Brian Cashman told MLB.com following the deal. “I’ve been hearing it for a long time, including his agent Scott Boras saying, ‘Can you get him over here? He’s driving me crazy. He wants to be a Yankee.’ That’s not why I did it; ultimately, I did it because it’s a fit.”

The partnership has strong potential despite Bellinger’s early statistical struggles. The Yankees’ offense ranks among baseball’s most productive units, while Bellinger provides defensive stability in center field alongside positional versatility and – as evidenced Sunday – well-timed power.

Will the 4/20 streak continue?

With three consecutive years of April 20 home runs, speculation already surrounds the 2026 continuation of this improbable streak. Social media has embraced the phenomenon, with one fan posting: “Take this down. The books are watching. Gotta keep the trend going.” Another project: “4/20/2026 — Cody hits four homers.”

While conventional wisdom suggests such patterns eventually end, baseball’s rich history of statistical anomalies and player-specific quirks leaves room for the streak to endure. Sometimes these peculiarities become embedded in a player’s legacy.

The surging Yankees continue their homestand with growing momentum, as Max Fried establishes himself at the rotation’s forefront. For Bellinger, despite currently underwhelming traditional statistics, the indicators point toward an imminent offensive breakthrough – with his April 20 production offering a tantalizing glimpse of his potential impact.

Whether attributed to cosmic alignment, lighthearted coincidence, or simply comfortable hitting conditions on a specific spring date, Bellinger’s annual April 20 power display has carved out its own distinctive place in baseball’s calendar of curiosities.

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