Can a change of scenery fix new Chicago Cubs center fielder Cody Bellinger?

Winner of the National League MVP Award in 2019, Bellinger has been on a downward spiral at the plate ever since. It led to him being released by the Los Angeles Dodgers in December and eventually signed by the Cubs on a 1-year, $17.5 million deal.

"I'm working my butt off to become the best player I possibly can become," Bellinger said recently. "The best version of myself."

The reviews have been mixed this spring. With Opening Day less than a week away, Bellinger is hitting .194 with a pair of home runs in spring training. Fixing things won't happen overnight.

"I get to start fresh," Cubs hitting coach Dustin Kelly said of working with Bellinger. "And he's starting from a healthy base."

Injuries have been a big issue for Bellinger since that MVP season. First was the infamous shoulder dislocation, reinjured while celebrating a Game 7 home run in the 2020 World Series.

Then came a hairline fracture in his left foot early in 2021. Later that season, he also had a hamstring strain. Last year, he had 550 plate appearances, but he still produced just a .654 OPS.