
On a night in which he made his first All-Star Game appearance since 2019, got his first All-Star Game hit, made history with a teammate and drove in the first two runs of the game for the American League, New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger went home with another first in his career.
Bellinger's 1-for-3, 2-RBI performance was enough to earn him the 2026 MLB All-Star Game MVP Award. Bellinger is the first Yankees player to win the award since Giancarlo Stanton in 2022 and just the fourth ever, joining Mariano Rivera in 2013 and Derek Jeter in 2000.
As noted above, Bellinger was making his first All-Star Game appearance since the 2019 season when he was still a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Your #AllStarGame MVP: Cody Bellinger pic.twitter.com/UP0L6S3luK
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 15, 2026
Entering the All-Star Game, Bellinger had been scuffling in July to the tune of a .222/.255/.289 slash line, an OPS of just .544 in 45 at-bats.
Bellinger's funk combined with the absence of Aaron Judge and the aforementioned Stanton are all huge factors in the slump the Yankees have been in since early June.
With a confidence boost from the All-Star Game MVP performance, Bellinger may have found his swing again and can help Ben Rice carry the New York offense until the returns of Judge and Stanton.
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