When Cody Bellinger first joined the Yankees ahead of the 2025 season, the club showed him a presentation about ways to improve his defense.

First-step and pre-pitch techniques, studied by the organization’s army of analysts, were part of that. So was another sport.

“We actually got it from tennis,” Bellinger said. “When these guys are getting serves at them 115 mph, you’ll see this little pre-step that they do, and we’ve taken that on defense, and it’s been good for me.”

The left fielder shared that tidbit after making a game-saving, 99.7-mph throw in Friday’s 1-0 win over Boston. The perfectly placed missile, the third-fastest throw of Bellinger’s career, gunned down Red Sox speedster Ceddanne Rafaela at the plate.

While Bellinger’s arm starred on the play, it was his footwork before and throughout that put him in position for an on-the-money throw. And that, he said, can be partly attributed to the Yankees’ tennis lessons.

Actually, outfield coach Luis Rojas said tennis only makes up 5% of the performance the Bombers gave Bellinger, not even. But Rojas isn’t surprised that that’s the part that stuck with the former MVP, as he had the same takeaway the first time he saw the presentation.

While tennis players don’t have to go back on balls like outfielders, Rojas said that mimicking their pre-serve hops helps get players like Bellinger in good position for 360 degrees of possibilities, as they don’t know where the batter is going to hit the ball. The idea is to have Yankees outfielders on the balls of their feet as the baseball is impacting the bat.

“[Tennis players’] reaction time is so quick, and we just take that example as something you can do so you can have a better first step or reaction to the ball,” Rojas said. “Every tennis player hops so they can move quicker laterally to react to those serves

“We’re probably going to get more chances to make a play when you’re hopping.”

Rojas called the timing of the pre-pitch hop “an art.” If so, Bellinger may just be the Pablo Picasso of left fielders.

While he was a strong defender for the Yankees last year, no one has played better defense at the position than the three-time All-Star this season. Heading into Saturday’s doubleheader against Boston, Bellinger led his position with 20 Defensive Runs Saved. The next-closest players had nine.

He also ranked first in Fielding Run Value (8) and Outfield Arm Runs Saved (5), and he was second in Outs Above Average (6). He was also fifth in assists (5).

“He’s so good, it’s almost underrated,” Paul Goldschmidt said. “He goes to get balls that [other] guys aren’t even getting to. And he’s catching them standing up. He gets such good reads out there, and then his arm, you kind of forget about it, but he’s got one of the strongest arms in baseball and is so accurate.”

“He’s just a tremendous athlete,” Aaron Boone added. “I think he’s just really good on his feet, really good off-balance, really good when he gets his hands on it. A really good and smart and accurate thrower. It’s just a look at a really good athlete that’s gotten really good at playing the corner.”

In addition to some insight from another sport, Bellinger said that only playing left field has helped him take his defense to another level this year.

While he primarily played left last year, he also spent a decent amount of time in center, a position he hasn’t graded out well at since his Dodgers days.

“One position, you get the reps, consistency, consistent arm release,” Bellinger said.

Rojas also noted that Bellinger’s arm is at full strength after being hindered by some issues that predated his Yankees tenure.

But Bellinger said the pre-pitch techniques he learned have made the biggest difference. They’ve also made him a more knowledgeable fan of the sport that inspired them.

“Now when I watch tennis, I watch it,” he said. “I see the jump.”