Cody Snavely
The loss of Mookie Betts has affected the Dodgers’ shortstop plans and lineup construction. Since the team acquired him in 2020, Betts has been the leadoff hitter for most of his Dodgers tenure.
However, with his fractured hand expected to sideline the seven-time all-star for several weeks, the Dodgers have shifted Shohei Ohtani to the leadoff spot in Betts’ absence, which has paid off handsomely.
With how Ohtani and the Dodgers’ offense have been since June 17th, the day after Betts was placed on the injured list, many fans have pondered the question: Should Ohtani stay in the leadoff spot even when Betts returns?
Ohtani’s hot streak started before he was shifted up to leadoff
After a struggling end to the month of May, Ohtani and the Dodgers were looking for more production out of the two-hole hitter, as his slump was a massive reason why the offense was so inconsistent.
However, entering June, Ohtani’s bat started to awaken from a three-week slumber. The left-handed slugger has hit .306/.412/.706 with a 1.118 OPS, the highest of the season thus far in twenty-two games.
A lot of this success has also coincidentally coincided with the switch to the leadoff spot. Since June 17th, Ohtani has hit .419 with thirteen hits, five home runs, and fourteen runs batted in.
Charles Rex Arbogast/AP Photos
It’s worth noting that this is not Ohtani’s first time in the leadoff spot. He has spent time in this position during his time with the Angels from 2018-2023. Over his career, he has accumulated seventy-two games with a .283/.385/.574 slash line and a .959 OPS.
Although Dodgers fans are being exposed to recency bias, it’s hard to ignore Ohtani’s exceptional productivity as a hitter in the two-hole, with his OPS soaring to an impressive 1.008.
The Dodgers have a clear strategy when constructing their lineup and slugging is a massive part of that. During the offseason, they envisioned a ‘big three’ of Betts, Ohtani, and Freeman. This is the lineup they’ve consistently run out whenever these players are in the game.
Switching up the lineup is a disservice to Betts
In a sport filled with superstar players, few are as selfless as Mookie Betts. In his time in Dodger Blue, Betts has shifted all around the diamond, played through injuries, and been a pivotal piece to why the Dodgers are on pace to win over one hundred games every full season since his arrival in Los Angeles.
The Dodgers, in need of a middle infielder, called on Betts last season, having him play sixty-five games at second base, a position he had not played often since his time in the Boston Red Sox minor league system.
In 2023, Betts split time in right field, a position he dominated, winning six Gold Glove awards, and filled in a shortstop for a handful of games in April while Miguel Rojas was banged up.
However, this past offseason, the club decided to shift Betts to full-time second baseman, a plan they would stick to until the final weeks of spring training. However, after a disastrous defensive showcase by Gavin Lux, the Dodgers shifted plans, throwing Betts into the shortstop role, a position he had yet to play regularly since he was a senior in high school.
While Betts showcased his excitement for a new challenge, many insiders around the league questioned the decision. Why would the Dodgers move their 31-year-old all-star and perennial MVP contender out of position, and would it disgruntle the positive-minded Betts?
What was really telling were Betts’ comments during the postgame on Father’s Day. Betts was looking to use this time off as a “mental break,” which shows some frustration with the swap.
When Betts does make his return in the next eight weeks, the Dodgers may have traded for a full-time shortstop by the July 30th MLB trade deadline, which would shift Betts back to second or even the outfield. Do they want to have him lose his leadoff spot as well? I personally do not think so.
Mookie Betts has hit leadoff in over 1070 games with a .296/.376/.537 slash line and a .913 OPS. So far this season, despite the poor defensive play at shortstop, Betts was on track to winning his second career Most Valuable Player Award.
Betts also ranks 5th all-time with career leadoff home runs with fifty-two and has insisted on batting leadoff previously when the Dodgers toyed with the idea of batting him further down the lineup in 2020.
During that season, the Dodgers opened the year with Betts batting second behind Max Muncy, one of the best hitters, but they shortly realized that batting Betts one and Corey Seager two was the ultimate play.
While Ohtani has been a great option for the Dodgers since the injury, moving Betts off the spot seems pointless, given how the Dodgers constructed their lineup.
Why there’s an argument
While I believe that the Dodgers will go back to Betts leading off games once he returns from the injured list in August, I think there is an augment that can be had to make the switch.
One strategy that has been suggested is to ‘break up the lefty and righty bats ‘. This means alternating left-handed and right-handed batters in the lineup, which can make it more challenging for the opposing team’s pitchers. With the loss of Betts, Dodgers catcher Will Smith has moved up to the two-hole, bridging the lefty-left two and three hitters, a situation that has been exploited by other teams this season.
If you chose to leave Ohtani as the leadoff hitter, the Dodgers’ top four could look like this:
- Shohei Ohtani
- Mookie Betts
- Freddie Freeman
- Will Smith
In his career, Betts has played ninety-one games in the two-hole, hitting .307/.390/.488 with a .877 OPS. He would be a great option as the righty between Freeman and Ohtani’s lefty bats.
In an era of frequent lineup changes, there’s a comforting nostalgia in a balanced lineup with consistent hitters. This strategy not only provides stability but also reassures us about the team’s long-term plan.
However, I would much rather have Ohtani hit two-run bombs with Mookie Betts getting on base ahead of him, but the Dodgers can take their time to make a decision.
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