Cody Bellinger was once considered to be one of the best players in baseball. He won the 2019 NL MVP award during his Los Angeles Dodgers tenure. Bellinger struggled in 2021 and 2022 though, leading LA to go in a different direction this past offseason. He signed with the Chicago Cubs and has found his footing in a major way.

Bellinger has been especially impressive in July. He leads the league in batting average (.462), OPS (1.293) and slugging percentage (.800) this month, per B/R Walk-Off on Twitter. He's also tied for second in home runs in July with a mark of six as of this story's publication.

Bellinger, and teammate Marcus Stroman, have been mentioned in a number of trade rumors, however. The Cubs could opt to keep the outfielder and try to re-sign him. The same can be said for Stroman, who's also in the midst of a fantastic 2023 campaign. But it wouldn't be surprising to see both players dealt ahead of the trade deadline.

Let's take an in-depth look at Cody Bellinger's incredible bounce back campaign with the Cubs.

Cody Bellinger is back!

Regression could still be a possibility. Some of the underlying numbers suggest that he may not be able to keep up his torrid pace. Nevertheless, it's clear that Bellinger is back to being a reliable MLB player at the very least.

His numbers, despite the potential of regression, are quite impressive. He's currently slashing .317/.371/.542 with a .913 OPS and 13 home runs across 278 plate appearances. Bellinger's missed some time due to injury, so he's played in just 66 games. He's made the most of his opportunities though.

The Cubs' gamble has paid off without question. Regardless of whether Bellinger gets traded or not, Chicago's decision to sign the former MVP has been a good one. The same can be said for Bellinger's decision to start fresh with the Cubs. He's set himself up for a quality payday in free agency following the 2023 season.