Yankees' Cody Bellinger named All-Star Game MVP after American League blanks National League, 4-0

Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News on Jul 14, 2026

Published in Baseball

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PHILADELPHIA — Cody Bellinger went seven years between All-Star Game appearances.

It was worth the wait.

The Yankees outfielder was voted MVP of Tuesday night’s All-Star Game after he delivered the decisive hit in the American League’s 4-0 victory at Citizens Bank Park.

With the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the first, Bellinger lined a two-run single against National League starter Cristopher Sanchez to break a scoreless tie.

Yankees teammate Ben Rice followed with an RBI single, putting the AL up, 3-0.

Bellinger finished 1 for 3 with two RBIs and was removed in the sixth inning.

The MVP honor capped a memorable return to the Midsummer Classic for Bellinger, who was making his third All-Star appearance.

His previous two selections came in 2017 and 2019 when he was a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Bellinger, who turned 31 on Monday, endured a winding road back to this point, including a dislocated right shoulder in October 2020 that required surgery.

Following the surgery, Bellinger’s numbers dropped dramatically over the next two seasons, and the Dodgers non-tendered him after the 2022 campaign. Bellinger spent two seasons with the Chicago Cubs before being traded to the Yankees, with whom he’s spent the past two years.

Bellinger, who has 11 home runs and a .766 OPS this season, initially made the All-Star roster as a reserve, but he started in right field Tuesday due to injuries to teammate Aaron Judge and Minnesota’s Byron Buxton.

Bellinger is the fourth Yankee to win the All-Star Game MVP, joining Derek Jeter (2000), Mariano Rivera (2013) and Giancarlo Stanton (2022).