As the Los Angeles Dodgers chase a World Series title, Mookie Betts will be one of the many superstars helping lead the charge. Early on in the season, Betts has once again proven to be one of the best hitters in all of the league.
Through the first five games of the season, Betts has already hit four home runs. That’s more than the three total swings and misses he has had through his first 25 plate appearances, via Kevin Pulsifer of ESPN Stats & Info, h/t Buster Olney of ESPN.
Overall, Betts has hit a blistering .611 with 10 RBI and seven walks alongside his long balls. He is seeing the ball at the plate well and not chasing pitches. While it’s hard to expect the trend to continue over 162 games, it at least shows how locked in Betts is for the 2024 campaign.
The Dodgers are hoping Betts’ offensive jolt helps them improve on their early 3-2 start.
Mookie Betts brings the firepower
Los Angeles traded for Betts prior to the 2020. It was a shocking deal as Betts had won his MVP and a World Series with the Boston Red Sox two years prior. However, the Dodgers were keen to win a title and knew Betts had the talent to get the there.
It paid off immediately as LA won the World Series in 2020. Chasing more rings, the Dodgers have added plenty of talent around him in players such as Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Ohtani has gotten all the shine since his arrival in Los Angeles. But the Dodgers understand how important Betts is to reaching the lofty goals.
He has appeared in 476 games over his going on five years with the Dodgers, hitting .286 with 117 home runs, 296 RBI and 46 stolen bases. He has been an All-Star in every season he has played with the team, hitting 35+ home runs and 80+ RBI in his previous two campaigns.
Betts is looking to put together another impressive offensive showing in 2024. He started that goal off on the right foot. However, the only difference will be the position he plays. Heading into the year, Betts was moved to shortstop and has split time at both middle infield positions throughout the season. He took the change in stride and has made just one error thus far.
No matter the position he is playing, the Dodgers need Mookie Betts to continue his strong approach at the plate. Swing and misses will come, but Betts is at least trying to limit them. With the long balls being more than just an added bonus, Los Angeles has liked what they saw. Betts will try to continue putting together his second MVP campaign while leading the Dodgers from inside the batter’s box.
