While nearly all of the attention in Friday night’s 6-4 Dodgers win over the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park was on Dodgers superstar newcomer Manny Machado, and rightfully so, there was one almost insignificant at-bat that went completely under the radar for all but the most savvy of Dodger fan.

It occurred in the top half of the fourth inning, an otherwise uneventful inning that was surrounded by a Kiké Hernandez ground out and line outs by Logan Forsythe and Austin Barnes.

With one out and on an 0-2 count, left-handed-hitting Dodgers first baseman Cody Bellinger reached across the plate and slapped Brewers right-hander Wade Miley‘s 88-mph cut fastball (that was way off the plate) between Brewers third baseman Travis Shaw and shortstop Tyler Saladino, who were shifted against the normally pull-hitting 2017 National League Rookie of the Year, for an excuse-me base hit.

…and it was beautiful.

So what’s the big deal over an insignificant opposite field slap single by the guy who slugged 39 home runs last season – most of which were absolutely crushed – in what has become known as ‘elevate and celebrate’ for the just-turned 23-year-old Scottsdale, Arizona native and Dodgers 2013 fourth-round draft pick out of Hamilton High School in Chandler, Arizona, you ask?

The big deal is that to the absolute thrill of Dodgers hitting coach Turner Ward, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, and those aforementioned savvy Dodger fans, the 6′-4″ / 210-pound young Dodger first baseman has been going the other way quite a bit lately, and the result are staggering.

Although Belly’s batting average is still under .250, it has been on a gradual climb from .231 on June 1st and currently sits at .244. And even though nary an at-bat goes by without at least one of Bellinger’s trademark ‘swings from the hips’ (as they say), it’s those unselfish slap swings to the opposite field to defeat the ever-present shifts against him that is clear proof that our young Cody Bellinger is growing into a complete well-rounded major league hitter.

Now this most certainly isn’t to say that Bellinger has completely done away with his incredible pull shots that currently has him second on the team’s home run leader board with 17, behind only Max Muncy‘s 22 and not counting Machado’s 24, which were all hit while a member of the Baltimore Orioles. In fact, since June 1, Bellinger has hit nine round-trippers; none bigger than his towering grand slam on June 22 off of Mets right-hander Zack Wheeler that landed in the upper deck of Citi Field.

For those who dig the long ball, Bellinger’s new approach at the plate may be somewhat of a disappointment, as his final home run tally this season may fall short of the 39 home runs he hit last season. That being said, the guy who the young Dodgers first baseman is often likened to and who is the undisputed best opposite field hitter to ever play the game, finished his brilliant 19-year MLB career with only 521 home runs but still owns the best on-base percentage in MLB history at .482; the great Hall of Famer Ted Williams.

That’s some pretty good company, if you ask me.