Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani Bats Second in Spring Training Debut
The time has finally arrived! Shohei Ohtani will play in his first game for the Los Angeles Dodgers and he will bat second behind Mookie Betts.
The batting order for Betts, Ohtani, and Freddie Freeman has been a topic of heated discussion this year. Last year, Betts and Freeman formed one of the most productive duos at the top of the lineup that baseball has ever seen.
Now, with Ohtani in the lineup, everyone wanted to know where he would bat and if the Dodgers would possibly break up the Betts/Freeman tandem. It appears that Ohtani will in fact bat second behind Betts and in front of Freeman.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts did mention that the lineup for today would hint at the possible batting order for the season. The Dodgers’ first game is March 20 against the San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea.
In Betts, Ohtani and Freeman, the 2024 Dodgers will be the fifth team to begin a season with three players who each finished in the top three in MVP voting in the previous season in either league, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
The Dodgers play the Chicago White Sox at 12 p.m. PT at Camelback Ranch-Glendale.
Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-USA TODAY Sports
Have you subscribed to our YouTube Channel? Subscribe and hit that notification bell to stay up to date on all the latest Dodgers news, rumors, interviews, livestreams, and more!
Batting #2 makes the most sense. With Freeman behind him, they HAVE to pitch to Shohei. As much as I love Will Smith, opposing pitchers fear Freddie a lot more (for good reason).