The Los Angeles Dodgers have an embarrassment of riches at the plate, leaving manager Dave Roberts with a tough choice ahead of the 2026 season: Who bats where in the order?
On Wednesday, Roberts made clear where his head is at regarding Mookie Betts, saying he expects Betts to bat third, as reported by Katie Woo of The Athletic.
Betts has previously batted in the No. 2 spot, but with the addition of star outfielder Kyle Tucker and a dip in offensive production in 2025, he’s being moved back a spot.
Shohei Ohtani is expected to keep his leadoff spot, Roberts added.
Expectations for Mookie Betts in 2026
Betts had a down year at the plate in 2025, but he spent this past offseason retooling his swing.
“More just rewiring my mechanics, my brain, the motor patterns,” Betts explained, as reported by Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. “I think it kind of got out of whack early on, and once I got out of whack early, it was just like a snowball effect.”
With a bounce-back year at the plate and continued strong performance at shortstop, Betts could be a contender for the top player in the National League, an expectation Roberts has embraced.
“Mookie [Betts] will be in the MVP conversation this year,” Roberts predicted, as reported by Jack Vita of the Los Angeles Times.
A Return to Form for Betts?
Betts struggled in 2025, but that’s largely in relation to his own success.
He slashed .258/.326/.406. Compare that to 2024, when he slashed .289/.372/.491.
Before his time with the Dodgers, though, he led Major League Baseball in batting average and slugging.
In 2018, he slashed .346/.438/.640 en route to an American League MVP award.
Will history repeat itself in 2026? Only time will tell, but all indications thus far are positive for the Boys in Blue.
Do you think Mookie Betts will be MVP caliber again in 2026?
