Mookie Betts is the default MVP for the Los Angeles Dodgers, even with the addition of Shohei Ohtani. However, when injury starts to be a factor for the club, it seems that Ohtani is expected to log in more minutes, and he has shown that he can thrive as the team’s leadoff hitter with Betts out of the picture in the meantime.
So when the Dodgers took on the Colorado Rockies last Monday, critics were expecting the club to struggle with the way they will play with Ohtani as the lead batter. And surprise, surprise, the Dodgers won with ease, claiming a 9-5 victory at Coors Field without much hassle.
Of course, everyone knows how important Betts when it comes to winning for the Dodgers, but being able to hit 3 of 5 and coming up with a walk, and a stolen base says a lot about how versatile Ohtani is and what he can fully contribute to the club’s success when given the opportunity to do so.
Relying on Ohtani Improves his MVP Case
Life without Mookie Betts can be worrying for some, but the Dodgers themselves don’t worry that much when they have an MVP-caliber star in Shohei Ohtani, who has what it takes to come up with a promising boost when the club needs him to do so. When he was needed to come up with a magical game for the Dodgers, he didn’t even flinch when he was asked to step up.
Ohtani made a double twice, even driving in a run to cap off his third multi-hit performance in the last four games, which says a lot about how well he is ready to get up on the next level. That stretch alone saw him have seven hits in 15 at-bats. If you are not impressed with the two-time AL MVP, then you should know that he entered the game as the second when it comes to extra-base hits and is even tied for fifth in hits while being sixth in batting average.
Ohtani is still being considered for the MVP race. Heck, he’s even at the top in the MLB’s recent MVP poll. The ever-amazing game of Ohtani continues to thrive at the highest level, being able to put up massive performances down the stretch even when a designated hitter is not really expected to win MVPs. And yet here he is, earning more minutes that only add more to his MVP case at this point.
Stressing the Importance of Mookie Betts
Betts is expected to be out of the Dodgers’ lineup for the next six to eight weeks after suffering a left-hand fracture. It is never going to be easy for Los Angeles to come up with a solution besides putting in Ohtani, but they can only hope to produce at a high level while Betts takes his leave.
“You’re never gonna replace Mookie Betts. He’s a top-five player in all Major League Baseball,” said Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman. “But you know, we got a lot of good guys in this group. A lot of veteran guys. A lot of us have been on teams that have lost people to injuries. But we got a good group to hold it down. We’ll let him get healthy and welcome him back here sooner rather than later.”
Everyone in the club understands how injuries are never expected to come and often arrive when you least expect it. So when Betts got injured, it is a good thing that Freeman’s leadership clearly offers an insight as to how tight-knit the squad really is when it comes to winning games with each other.
