Dodgers: Roberts Envisions Mookie and Others Rotating Leadoff Duties
When the Dodgers acquired Mookie Betts a few weeks back, everyone envisioned him hitting leadoff in a powerful lineup. And as expected, Mookie will be hitting at the top of Los Angeles’ lineup as confirmed by Dave Roberts.
Mookie has expressed interest at hitting at the top of the lineup …. Roberts says that’s what we’re gonna do pic.twitter.com/MxnPyh7MU9
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) February 21, 2020
Mookie hit leadoff for the Red Sox in over 70 percent of his career plate appearances with Boston over six years. In those 2650 plate appearances at the top of the lineup, Betts is slashing .302/.373/.537 with 110 home runs.
The move to pair him with a left-handed hitter like Joc Pederson is likely going to be based on pitching matchups for the Dodgers. Against right-handed pitching, it is easy to see Joc sliding back into a role he became quite familiar with in 2019. Joc received the bulk of his plate appearances from that first spot in the lineup and hit 33 of his 36 home runs from there.
#Dodgers Dave Roberts said he talked with Mookie Betts and he will be the primary leadoff hitter. Might move to No. 2 occasionally against RH pitching (to put a lefty like Joc Pederson leadoff). "That's where he feels comfortable and that's where we're at right now."
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) February 21, 2020
While he may not have the on-base percentage coaches would like to see from the leadoff spot, Joc certainly provides the pop. A career .339 OBP guy, Pederson paces well behind Mookie’s career mark of 374.
The uniqueness of the Dodgers lineup presents the team with several opportunities though. Max Muncy is a guy that can fit into the leadoff spot, especially given his consistency with the team the past two years. Muncy has a very high .381 on-base percentage in his two seasons with LA.
Regardless of who is hitting leadoff, the Dodgers’ lineup is packed full of power and potential. At the very least, 2020 is shaping up to be one full of offensive highlights.
Hey, Dave Roberts, please stop thinking so much about platooning and and juggling the batting order. Mookie Betts should play in right field all the time. He should bat lead off all the time. A big reason Betts is such a good fit is that the Dodgers finally have a real lead off hitter. And Roberts is already talking about messing it up?
Joc Pederson had one stolen base in each of the last two season. Is that a lead off guy? His OBA is very low because alot of strike outs come with his home runs. His home runs are better utilized in the 5 or 6 spot, so he will actually have runners on base when he hits them. Pederson has never been suited to the leaded off hitter role. There is no reason to keep him there just because he’s used to it, especially when you now have one of the best leadoff guys in the game in Betts, and can now put Pederson in a more sensible spot in the order.
Why would make a trade to fill a need, like the long standing, desperate need for a real playmaker leadoff guy, and then mess it up for no reason?
The reason is Roberts is DUMB!!!
I agree with your comment 110%
Here we go with the lack consistency again. The Dodgers could have a lineup of hall of famers and they’d still shuffle
That’s Roberts for ya, still short of learning from past mistakes.
I think Roberts is just a puppet we’ll never really know what he would or wouldn’t do on his own but I’d say he’s a lot smarter than his actions over the years. One of the conditions in being hired here was probably to agree to be an analytical FO puppet that is good at keeping the players together and on board with it and for that he’s the perfect guy for the job he’s a good communicator and good at relationships. He’s forced to work with the FO on what used to be solely managerial decisions and that is where this Mookie Joc thing is coming from
NO NO NO! Nice going Roberts, one year of this and Mookie Will leave.
Sigh…fire Roberts.
Agreed
Are you kidding me? I’m sure Mookie will want to sign a long term contract with the dodgers if this were to occur. Welcome to the LA Dodgers! Roberts and Manfred need to be fired and start a new career at Walmart
Unbelievable that he would actually begin the shuffle board game even before ST games start. And one wonders why Roberts should have been dismissed, and one wonders why Dodgers are inconsistent offensively in October. BETTS SHOULD LEAD OFF AGAINST ALL COMERS…PERIOD!!!!! Unless he gets a day off or is injured. If Roberts wants to continue this micro managing and moving Betts around, don’t worry folks, because like myself (if I as a player) or anyone else will go and leave via FA. Again, dodgers have a great chance to go deep in October and maybe even win aWS but the one that can once again sabotage the team it’s Roberts.
AZUL, its early Sunday morning and I am checking out Saturday’s Dodgers Nation . I cannot believe what I am reading about platooning Joc and Betts. Sheer insanity!!!! Dave Roberts will snatch defeat from the jaws of victory before the 2020 is over. This is really a disgrace. Go Blue!!!!
I’d like to share a story with Dave Roberts. I once saw a cartoon about a boxer and his two corner men. At the end of the first two rounds the boxer comes back to his corner totally messed up. The corner men have expressions of shocked concern, but fix him up like new, and are all smiles as they send him back into the fight. At the end of the third round, the boxer comes back looking great. His corner men are overjoyed. But when they work on him this time, they convert him from looking great to looking terrible. The corner men look at each other with confused and guilty expressions as their fighter staggers into the fourth round. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Just let Betts play in same position in the field and the batting order every day. Employ Occam’s razor – the simplest solution is usually the best. Stop trying to a genius, and just try to be smart. Thanks.
Roberts seriously needs to see a therapist! Only a moron would even think about platooning Betts. The Dodgers and it appears its Roberts, has this fantasy euphoric dream to try and make Pederson into a lead off hitter! Its absolutely the most idiotic plan I’ve ever heard. I’m really on board with everyone else that says Roberts is not qualified to manage in the bigs! Unbelievable!
I’ll say it again. Roberts is DUMB!!!
the only thing can stop this team from winning is how its managed. this time it is all on Roberts if he does his job we win if he don’t we loose. that simple this team is loaded!!!!!!!
Holy Shyte!
What the hell is Roberts thinking??? IDIOT!
This so upsets me, I wish there was an election and we could vote him OUT OF OFFICE.
Nice guy but no business managing an MLB team.
I’m gonna stop now….nothing constructive to add except I hope he hears us all somehow….just sayin’.
can we get a decent manager
Betts will do great at leadoff. Platooning Betts is crazy! Put Pederson in left with his 36 homers – last season. (More than Betts in tougher hitters parks..) Pollock is too injury prone to play every day. Trading Pederson and Stripling was insanity. Glad Moreno killed those deals!
betts must lead off. spend lots of money to get betts was great. hey friedman dont let d.r. screw up now joc is a good player, try to make a lead man of him is just dumb and until roberts is gone this kind of crap will go on as , dumb as putting him on 1st base. get rid of roberts now before he has pitchers screwed up easeyer now than in mid season or in post season. let all of this crap go forget filling the seats next yr.