What To Do with Mookie Betts

                                               It has become painfully obvious that there is a giant hole at the top of the Dodger batting order. It comes from an unexpected source. Mookie Betts, one of the better players in major league baseball is having his worst season ever. And it could not come at a more inopportune time. The Dodgers offense is floundering like a shark out of water. It doesn’t help that his top of the lineup partner has become a whiff machine, generating more air than a Hollywood wind machine does for movies. 

                                             So, it also is no surprise that this team is struggling to score runs. Let us put this season under the microscope a little and see if we can shed a little light on Mookie’s lack of production. We all know he got very ill on the trip to Japan and was sent home. Reports were that he lost close to 30 pounds. For a guy with his body build, that is a lot. I lost 36 pounds during my hospital stay, and even as big as I am, I pretty much felt like crap for a couple of months.  Mookie started of the season slow. He has during his career typically been a very good hitter in the second half. 

                                         In March/April, he hit .250 with 4 homers. His OPS was .746. He hit .258 in May with 4 more homers. But his OPS dropped 8 points. The real decline began in June. He batted just .240 and had 1 homer. He hit .205 in July with 2 homers. He is ofer August. How has this happened? Mookie himself has said he has tried everything he knows to battle his way out of the slump. Maybe he is trying too hard. I have a feeling he is pressing and not just going out and playing the game and having a good time. 

                                       To his credit, Dave Roberts has put on a brave face and stood firmly behind his star player. He flip-flopped Ohtani and Betts in the lineup, and that flopped. So, he switched them back, that has not worked yet. Betts is just hitting .223 at Dodger Stadium and .238 on the road. 8 of his homers have come at home, and the other 3 on the road. In his career, he is a .280 hitter at Dodger Stadium. Also, in his career he is a .301 hitter at his home field. 

                                       He has always hit lefties well, and he is hitting them better than right-handed pitchers this year. But not close to as good as he has over his career. Stats show he is a better hitter when he is playing RF over SS by 30 points. But his highest average has come when he is playing second base, .307.  The bulk of his career has been as a leadoff hitter, and he has done very well there with a .295 BA and a .910 OPS. He hits .271 in the 2 hole. 

                                         I firmly believe that Roberts needs to do something drastic. He needs to move Betts down in the lineup to 6 or 7. Take the pressure off. It certainly is not in the Dodgers best interest to keep running him out there in the 2-hole when he is not producing at all. With he and Ohtani struggling, it should be Ohtani, Freeman, Smith at the top of the order. At least you get two .300 hitters at bat in the first inning. After that it is a crap shoot because nobody else is hot. You could also flip-flop Smith and Freeman, with Will hitting second. Muncy would be my choice for #4. He hasn’t hit for a high average there, the 3 slot is actually his best, but he hits homers, has a great eye and can set em up for Teo and Pages. Both of whom should be better soon. 

                                        Would love to hear what you guys and any gals out there think. I have to believe Mookie will figure it out sooner rather than later. But if not, LA is in deep doo-doo in the playoffs.