Everything Cody Bellinger Said About Signing New Yankees Contract, World Baseball Classic Decision

The New York Yankees held a press conference via Zoom for outfielder Cody Bellinger on Wednesday after re-signing him to a five-year, $162.5 million contract.

Of note, Bellinger raved about his experience with the Yankees and his teammates. Among other comments, he discussed how special it is to play in Yankee Stadium.

He also talked about the confidence he has in the current roster as the Yankees, which won 94 games last year, look to improve upon a season that ended with a four-game American League Division Series loss to the pennant-winning Toronto Blue Jays.

Bellinger joined the Yankees last offseason via trade from the Chicago Cubs in Dec. 2024 for pitcher Cody Poteet, and he spoke about how he felt right at home in the Bronx.

In particular, Bellinger shouted out three-time American League MVP Aaron Judge and how he hopes they can win a World Series together.

The Yankees' season doesn't begin for a couple months, but in the meantime, the World Baseball Classic will get going.

Bellinger will not be participating in this year's contest, however, noting the importance of getting ready for the 2026 season with the Yanks after signing a big deal.

In 152 games last season, Bellinger hit .272 (.813 OPS) with 29 home runs and 98 RBI. His 5.1 wins above replacement ranked second on the team behind only Judge (9.7), per Baseball-Reference.

Re-signing Bellinger was a massive win for the Yankees, who are looking for their 28th World Series title. They'll start that effort on March 25 when they visit the San Francisco Giants in the first game of the 2026 MLB season.