Cody Snavely
Arguably the most locked-down position on the Dodgers besides Freddie Freeman at first base is Mookie Betts in right field. When the Dodgers inked Betts to the massive multi-year extension in 2020, they envisioned him playing that position for years to come; however, with the Dodgers having Gavin Lux out for the season and their infield depth coming into question, we might see some new faces in RF if Betts does indeed play 40-50 games as suggested by Dave Roberts.
Mookie Betts (2022: .269/.340/.873, 35 HR)
Mookie Betts, in his career, has been one of if not the best overall right fielder in Major League Baseball. Betts has won numerous awards, such as Silver Sluggers and Gold Gloves, and was the 2018 AL MVP and finished 2nd in MVP voting during the 2020 season. Betts has been everything that the Dodgers could ask for in his short time in LA so far and is now the face of the franchise and an icon in the LA sports market.
Betts, who set a career-high in home runs last year with 35, was still disappointed with other areas of his swing. Here at DodgersBeat on the Bleed Los Podcast, we discussed how Mookie’s batting average has not been at his normal elite level, which in years past saw him batting well over .300.
The Dodgers also sent numerous players to DriveLine to work on their swing, and Mookie was among that player group. With multiple key Dodgers such as Justin Turner, Cody Bellinger, and Trea Turner now gone, the Dodgers will need Betts to be his 2018 MVP self to have a real shot at winning the World Series in 2023.
Other Options
Roberts has stated that with Gavin Lux’s injury, we will likely see Betts play around 40-50 games at 2nd base this year, and if that is believed to be accurate, someone will have to man RF in his absence. Some names that come to mind would be a rotation of David Peralta, Jason Heyward, Trayce Thompson, and perhaps James Outman, who, as stated before, deserves a roster spot.
The Dodgers have an excellent option for RF this year and beyond, as Betts is locked down until 2033. Betts is expected by many to have a big year as he looks to finally retake his claim as one of the best players in the sport.
DODGERSBEAT RATING: A
