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Cody Bellinger’s Old Line on How Jose Altuve ‘Stole’ MVP From Aaron Judge Resurfaces

This will certainly endear Bellinger to Yankees fans even more.

Tim Capurso

National League outfielder Cody Bellinger of the Los Angeles Dodgers greets American League outfielder Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees after the second round during the 2017 MLB Home Run Derby at Marlins Park on July 10, 2017.
National League outfielder Cody Bellinger of the Los Angeles Dodgers greets American League outfielder Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees after the second round during the 2017 MLB Home Run Derby at Marlins Park on July 10, 2017. / Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees on Tuesday continued their furious upgrade after losing the Juan Soto sweepstakes to the New York Mets, as the club acquired two-time All-Star and 2019 National League MVP Cody Bellinger in a trade with the Chicago Cubs. Bellinger, who plays two positions (first base and center field) the Yankees desperately need upgrades at, has a left-handed swing made for Yankee Stadium, and whose father won a pair of World Series titles in the Bronx in the 1990s, would seem to be a perfect fit for the pinstripes.

But Bellinger might just be a perfect fit for the Yankees for another reason. Shortly after news of the trade broke, an old interview of Bellinger from February of 2020 resurfaced, when the then-Los Angeles Dodgers star was very critical of the Houston Astros for their sign-stealing scandal, which had come to light in December of 2019, leading to discipline from MLB in January of 2020.

At one point, Bellinger even says that Astros star Jose Altuve "stole an MVP" from Yankees star Aaron Judge.

If looking for a trip down memory lane, here are Bellinger's full comments on the Astros.

Yankees fans still haven't forgiven the Astros, who defeated New York in the 2017 American League Championship Series when they were allegedly still stealing signs, for the scandal, which they feel denied them a chance at a World Series title. Heck, even Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is still miffed about it seven years later.

Of course, the Astros added fuel to the fire of Yankees' hatred when they went on to eliminate New York from the postseason two more times after 2017.

So, Astros' dislike seems to be a commonality among the organization and fanbase. Bellinger seems to check that box, among others.

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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