Cody Bellinger Sees Yankees Locker Room Culture

For a while there, it was looking like the New York Yankees might lose out on outfielder Cody Bellinger. Before the 30-year old Scottsdale, Arizona native signed a five-year, $162.5 million contract with the team last week, rumors swirled that he might depart for teams ranging from the New York Mets to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

However, there was also a strong counter narrative that Bellinger loved his 2025 season with New York and was just as interested in a reunion with the Yankees as they were with him. That turned out to be true, at least according to Bellinger himself.

In a conversation with SNY's Jack Curry, Bellinger revealed what it was about the Yankees that lead to both him and the team describing their relationship as a 'perfect marriage' and a 'seemless fit'.

"One, I felt right at home last year. You know, the guys, they do a great job at building a good culture in that locker room. It's a very good culture, it's a winning culture and we all show up to win the game that day," he said. "I was just excited to be a part of it."

Cody Bellinger Shares Love For Yankees Winning Culture

Bellinger went on to affirm his belief in his own abilities and his commitment to winning with the club.

"For me, I understand the talent that I have on the field, I understand the many different things I can do on a baseball field and I enjoy doing that type of stuff. I think I can win a baseball game in many different ways and that's what I strive to do and I feel like I do a good job of that and I expect to do a good job of that in the future."

"I felt right at home last year. The guys, they do a great job of building a good culture in that locker room."

Cody Bellinger talks about the culture in the Yankees' locker room and why he's a good fit for the team: pic.twitter.com/KRHfPYh40D
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) January 28, 2026

And talented, Bellinger is. Though he had a couple of down years towards the end of his time with the Dodgers, the team that drafted him, Bellinger's production was explosive in 2025. He hit 29 home runs, slashing .272/ .334/ .480 for an OPS of .814 during the regular season.

While those numbers aren't as powerful as the ones that lead him to be named NL MVP in 2019, they certainly were attractive to the Yankees, who are bringing him back for another five years. Hopefully for Yankees fans, Bellinger's hitting powers and the team's commitment to winning come together in a big way in 2026 and lead back to the World Series.

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