Originally published by DodgerBlue.com
While the Los Angeles Dodgers have made a strong case to be the latest MLB dynasty by winning back-to-back World Series titles and three in the last six years, their franchise history and success since 2000 is a mixed bag.
Up until the current era, there were middling levels of postseason accomplishments since the turn of the century. But there have also been impressive individual performances and players who carved out a special place in the Dodgers’ franchise history.
The DodgerBlue.com staff has ranked the best Dodgers players in the last 25 years. Among various factors considered, the all-time Dodgers list was compiled by evaluating a player’s contributions and significance to the franchise.
Dodgers quarter-century all-time team
No. 12, Cody Bellinger
The Dodgers drafted Cody Bellinger in the fourth round of the 2013 MLB Draft, and as a prospect, he helped the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes to a Cal League championship while winning the series MVP.
That helped put Bellinger on the map as he developed into one of the top prospects in baseball before making his MLB debut during the 2017 season. As the Dodgers dealt with numerous injuries, Bellinger was slotted into left field for his debut against the San Francisco Giants on April 25, and he picked up his first hit, an infield single down the third base line.
Bellinger was also intentionally walked that game, making him the third Dodgers rookie since 1912 to be intentionally walked in his MLB debut.
Four days later, Bellinger hit the first home run of his career against the Philadelphia Phillies. In that same game, Bellinger hit his second homer, which was part of three consecutive by the Dodgers to tie the game against Hector Neris in the ninth inning.
The next week, Bellinger slugged his first career grand slam in a win over the San Diego Padres on May 6. Bellinger blasted nine home runs in May, which tied a Dodgers’ rookie record with Joc Pederson and James Loney for most in a month.
In addition, he became the fastest Dodgers rookie in history to reach 11 home runs as he needed just 32 games, and he continued to set records during his rookie season.
Bellinger became the fastest player in MLB history to record four multi-home run games, needing just 45 to surpass the previous record of 63 games by Bob Horner in 1978.
He was also the first Dodgers player to have consecutive multi-home run games since Adrián Beltré in 2004, and he was the third Dodgers rookie to record at least four multi-home run games in one season.
On June 19, Bellinger tied Gary Sanchez and Wally Berger as the fastest players to reach 20 home runs, needing just 51 games, and one inning after tying that record, he slugged another homer to become the fastest player to reach 21.
The next day, Bellinger became the first rookie in MLB history to hit 10 home runs in 10 days.
He hit his sixth two-homer game on June 25 to break Mike Piazza’s team rookie record for most multi-homer games in one season. A few weeks later, Bellinger became the first Dodgers rookie to hit for the cycle, going 4-for-5 in a game against the Miami Marlins on July 15.
Bellinger earned his first career All-Star selection and participated in the Home Run Derby with 27 homers across his two rounds.
Bellinger broke Piazza’s Dodgers rookie home run record with his 35th home run, and he finished with 39 on the season. His final homer helped the Dodgers clinch the National League West and broke the NL record for most homers by a rookie.
When October came, Bellinger hit a solo homer in the fifth inning of Game 3 of the NL Division Series to become the youngest Dodger to leave the yard in a playoff game. In the NL Championship Series, he became the youngest player to homer in an NLCS or ALCS game since 2003 as the team advanced to their first World Series since 1988.
He finished the season hitting .267/.352/.581 with 97 RBI, 87 runs scored, 10 stolen bases, a 138 wRC+ and 4 WAR in 132 games, earning himself unanimous NL Rookie of the Year honors.
Bellinger also had a strong 2018 season as he finished hitting .260/.343/.470 with 25 home runs. With his first homer of the campaign, he became the third-fastest player in MLB history to reach 40 career home runs, needing just 136 games.
For the second consecutive season, Bellinger homered in the game that clinched the Dodgers the NL West title, hitting a two-run tie-breaking shot.
When the postseason started, he started out slow, but Bellinger was named the 2018 NLCS MVP after making a game-saving catch in Game 4 before hitting a 13th inning walk-off single, and then in Game 7, he hit the go-ahead homer that sent the Dodgers to the World Series for the second straight year.
Bellinger posted the best season of his career in 2019, which finished with NL MVP honors.
He started out April by setting a Dodgers record for the most home runs in the first month of the season with 13 to pass Matt Kemp, and that also gave him 88 total bases to set the record for the most of any batter in the live-ball era during April, surpassing the previous mark of 85 by Chase Utley in 2008.
Bellinger finished April with 97 total bases, 37 RBIs, and 47 hits to set new MLB records, and his 32 runs scored and 14 home runs tied existing records He received Player of the Month honors for the first time in his career and went on to receive his second All-Star Game nod.
Bellinger hit his 100th career home run on Aug. 2, which came in his 401st game, breaking Piazza’s Dodgers record of reaching 100 homers in 422 games. He later became the youngest Dodger in franchise history to reach the 40-homer mark in a season.
After the season, Bellinger was named the NL MVP, and also won a Gold Glove Award and the NL Silver Slugger Award. He was the first Dodgers player in history to win all three in the same season.
He also received two Fielding Bible Awards in right field and as a multi-positional player in right field, center field, and first base. He became the first Dodgers outfielder to win any Fielding Bible Award and the first MLB player to pick up two in the same season.
Bellinger was also named to the All-MLB First Team, joining Christian Yelich and Mike Trout in the outfield, after hitting .305/.406/.629 with 47 home runs, 121 runs scored, 115 RBI, 15 stolen bases, a 161 wRC+ and 7.8 WAR.
During the offseason, Bellinger signed an $11.5 million contract to break Kris Bryant’s record for the largest deal signed by a player in their first year eligible for arbitration.
As it was for many players, the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened 2020 season was difficult for Bellinger, and he saw a decline in many of his offensive numbers. Still, he ended up making a key impact in the postseason.
Bellinger robbed Fernando Tatis Jr. of a two-run homer in the seventh inning of Game 2, and the Dodgers went on to win 4-3 before taking the series in a sweep.
In the NLCS, the Dodgers were down 3-1 to the Braves through four games, but won three straight games to advance to the World Series. Bellinger made an impact with both his glove and bat, including the game-winning homer in Game 7.
However, Bellinger dislocated his shoulder celebrating that homer with Kiké Hernández. He played through the World Series as the Dodgers won the championship, but it also started the downfall of his tenure with the club.
In the offseason, Bellinger underwent labrum surgery. Then early in the 2021 season, he suffered a hairline fracture in his left fibula, and late in the season, he fractured his rib. When Bellinger was on the field, he struggled and was moved into a platoon role.
Even with the poor offensive season, Bellinger still managed to help the Dodgers in the postseason. He hit a go-ahead two-run double in Game 2 of the NLDS, and he had the game-winning RBI single in Game 5 to send the Dodgers to the NLCS.
In Game 3 of the NLCS, Bellinger hit a three-run homer to tie the game. Although they were eliminated in six games, Bellinger had 12 hits in his 34 postseason at-bats.
Despite being healthy for the 2022 season, his offense didn’t prove to be much better. In his final two years with the Dodgers, Bellinger hit just .193/.256/.355 in 239 games. He was non-tendered after the season and became a free agent.
Since then, Bellinger has bounced back, winning the NL Comeback Player of the Year Award with the Chicago Cubs in 2023, and he went on to sign a three-year, $80 million contract.
Over his first four seasons with the Dodgers, Bellinger hit .273/.364/.547 in 506 games with 123 home runs, 325 runs scored, 318 RBI, 45 stolen bases, a 137 wRC+ and 16.9 WAR. In his six total seasons in L.A., Bellinger hit .248/.332/.487 with 152 home runs, 434 runs, 422 RBI and 62 stolen bases.
Among all qualified Dodgers since 2000, he ranks seventh in home runs, eighth in runs scored, 10th in slugging, 11th in RBI and stolen bases, 14th in WAR (17.3), 15th in on-base plus slugging (.819) and 18th in wRC+ (116).
No. 13, Adrián Beltré
No. 14: Walker Buehler
No. 15: Andre Ethier
No. 16: Eric Gagné
No. 17: Shawn Green
No. 18: Manny Ramirez
No. 19: Gary Sheffield
No. 20: Adrián González
No. 21: Yasiel Puig
No. 22: Chris Taylor
No. 23: Russell Martin
No. 24: Kiké Hernández
No. 25: Miguel Rojas
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