Dave Roberts Reveals Top of Dodgers' Lineup for 2024 Season
Mookie Betts has gone on record in saying how excited he is for the upcoming season, especially in light of a lineup expected to include himself, Freddie Freeman, and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani at the top.
Announcing a hypothetical lineup for Opening Day isn't necessarily a tall ask, but manager Dave Roberts has been a bit coy about his lineup construction for the 2024 season.
Could Freeman be moved to the No. 3 spot? Might Ohtani move to the leadoff position? Where is best to bat Betts?
Speaking Friday to reporters at the Dodgers' spring training facility, Roberts finally leaked a little bit of news to make the picture a bit clearer for everyone:
It's not much, but that's one player you can write into the lineup — using ink — with less than a month to go before the Dodgers play the San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea.
The reveal shouldn't come as a shock. Roberts briefly experimented with Betts at the No. 2 spot in the order in 2020, and No. 3 in 2021, but by 2022 he was entrenched at the top of the batting order. Betts always seemed most comfortable there.
Statistically speaking, Betts has been been arguably the best leadoff hitter in the Major Leagues over the last few seasons. Not only is he a high-contact hitter, but he's prioritized launch angle since joining the Dodgers. The air-ball approach led to Betts slugging a career-high 39 home runs in 2023.
We should be able to get some reading soon on whether Roberts wants to slot Freeman and Ohtani. If we had to make an educated guess, you'll see Freeman batting second, with Ohtani in the three-spot.
Based on the high on-base percentages of Betts and Freeman, it would naturally make sense to have your best home run hitter behind them, presumably presenting Ohtani the best opportunities to drive in runs.
Roberts effectively confirmed those three will bat in the first inning of every game in which they're healthy enough to play at DodgerFest earlier this month. Roberts can practically flip a coin between Ohtani and Freeman, and Dodger fans will have their top three hitters for the season.
