Dodgers' Bellinger sets MLB record with 37 RBIs before May
Cody Bellinger is driving in runs at a historic pace to start the season.
The Los Angeles Dodgers star collected his 37th RBI on Monday against the San Francisco Giants, eclipsing Mark McGwire and Juan Gonzalez (both in 1998) to claim the all-time MLB record for most RBIs before May 1.
Bellinger set the record in 30 games - the 2019 season began earlier than usual, on March 28 - compared to the 25 and 26 contests it took McGwire and Gonzalez, respectively, to set the previous record in the '98 season, which began March 31.
It's been an incredible opening five weeks of the season for Bellinger, who recorded the milestone on an RBI single off Giants reliever Tony Watson in the sixth inning.
Clutch. pic.twitter.com/HGAPHZsW1u
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 30, 2019
Monday was the second straight night when Bellinger made history.
On Sunday, he joined Albert Pujols (2006), Alex Rodriguez (2007), and Christian Yelich (2019) as the only four players with 14 home runs before May 1. He also owns the MLB record for total bases before May.
Bellinger entered Monday night slashing .427/.500/.913 with 14 home runs, 44 hits, six doubles, five stolen bases, and 17 walks in 29 games. That production puts him on pace to shatter his totals from last season and his career highs from 2017.
| Year | GP | HR | RBI | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 132 | 39 | 97 | .933 |
| 2018 | 162 | 25 | 76 | .814 |
| *2019 | 29 | 14 | 36 | 1.413 |
*Stats entering Monday night
Bellinger will have Tuesday's contest to set a record for home runs before May.