Cody Bellinger Wins 2019 NL MVP Award over Christian Yelich, Anthony Rendon

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger was named the 2019 National League MVP on Thursday.

Bellinger beat Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich and Washington Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon to earn his first MVP nod.

It was an emotional moment for the Dodgers star:

Bellinger was long viewed as the favorite after he started the season on fire. He was named the NL Player of the Month in April as he hit .431 with 14 home runs and 37 RBI through the first month-plus.

He didn't continue that unbelievable pace for the rest of the year, but he still put up gaudy numbers while leading Los Angeles to an NL-best 106 victories.

The 24-year-old established new career highs in batting average (.305), on-base percentage (.406), slugging (.629), OPS (1.035), home runs (47), doubles (34) and RBI (115).

The two-time All-Star wasn't just a force at the plate, as he ranked fourth among NL outfielders with 10 assists. That helped earn him his first career Gold Glove.

Bellinger was in a tight race with the reigning NL MVP, Yelich, for most of the season. The Brewers outfielder's season-ending knee injury in early September took some of the drama out of the race, but Bellinger's numbers speak for themselves.