GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Assembling a lineup is like piecing together a puzzle, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is still mulling over how to best align his four stars atop the order.
Mookie Betts will likely hit third this year, Roberts said Wednesday, dropping him down a spot after he had spent much of the past two years hitting in the two-hole. That would allow new addition Kyle Tucker to hit second, behind leadoff man Shohei Ohtani, and Freddie Freeman to bat cleanup, although Roberts said he's still thinking about the second and fourth spots.
A healthy Dodgers lineup could look something like this:
- Shohei Ohtani, DH
- Kyle Tucker, RF
- Mookie Betts, SS
- Freddie Freeman, 1B
- Will Smith, C
- Max Muncy, 3B
- Teoscar Hernández, LF
- Andy Pages, CF
- Tommy Edman, 2B
That lineup has the potential to be a wrecking crew, featuring bats capable of doing damage from top to bottom. But the Dodgers' offense doesn't come without questions, chief among them whether Betts can return to superstar form at the plate following a down season.
“I have no doubt about it," Roberts said. "The way he played shortstop last year, and expecting him to be better offensively this year, he will be in the MVP conversation this year."
By several measures, Betts is coming off the worst offensive season of his career. He hit .258 with a .732 OPS, and his 104 OPS+ was his lowest in a dozen big league seasons. In early August, Betts had accepted that his season was beyond saving. He actually performed much better at the plate after that point, but as he acknowledged, he wasn't able to fully turn his season around.
There were several factors impacting Betts' down year. The biggest one may be the stomach illness that he sustained at the end of Spring Training, causing him to lose around 18 pounds. He traveled with the Dodgers for the Tokyo Series, but he was forced to depart early and miss the season opener.
Betts' preparation for his first full season at shortstop also may have had an impact. During the season, Betts vehemently denied that his position change had anything to do with his bat, but he later acknowledged that his focus on honing his defense could have taken away some time from working on his offense. This offseason, he was able to take a more balanced approach to preparing for all aspects of the game.
"Haven’t gotten any game action, so we’ll see if anything worked," Betts said. "But really just getting back to the basics. Understanding what I do best and trying to hone in on that.”
This year, hitting in between Tucker and Freeman -- in some order -- could help give Betts improved lineup protection, although the combination may not be meaningfully different than when he hit in between Ohtani and Freeman or Hernández last year. Roberts likes the idea of Betts hitting third not just because of the players who would be surrounding him, but also because of the mindset that comes with hitting in that part of the order.
Roberts thinks that Betts benefits from a leadoff mentality, where the primary focus is getting on base. At the same time, Betts has been an effective run producer throughout his career. Hitting third, Betts would have two players with proficient on-base skills ahead of him in Ohtani and Tucker, as well as a player who capitalizes on run-scoring opportunities behind him in Freeman.
"You're more of a Swiss Army knife," Roberts said. "I'm not holding to it, but I like him in the three-hole right now."
Above all, the Dodgers are confident that last season was an outlier for Betts, rather than the beginning of a decline. His tireless work ethic has created a career track record that speaks for itself.
With a normal offseason, a normal spring and a rare bid for a three-peat in play, Betts expects this year to go much better than last, from start to finish. The Dodgers feel the same way.
"Mookie is all about winning," Roberts said. "But when you're trying to play a new position, you're consumed by that, understandably so. I think he now has a handle on that. When you're playing catch up out of the gate, that's hard, too. Right now, he had a full offseason. He's in a great spot. Now he can focus on maintaining, building up and helping the Dodgers win in 2026."