Inside The Dodgers

Dodgers' Dave Roberts Reveals Why He Gave Up on Mookie Betts Leadoff Experiment

Nelson Espinal|
Jul 29, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (30) stands in the dugout before the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images
Jul 29, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (30) stands in the dugout before the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

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Los Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has swapped Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts in the batting order once again, essentially giving up on the experiment of having Betts leadoff.

Betts is going through the biggest slump of his career, and Roberts tried moving the three-time champion into his more comfortable role — leadoff.

The switch didn't pay off; he hit .186 in 11 games while batting first in the order.

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Now, Roberts is moving Betts back to second in the lineup and having the ever-dominant Ohanti lead off.

“It’s kind of just trying to figure out what’s best (for the) short term,” Roberts told Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.

“Longer term, we’ve got (Max Muncy) coming back soon. Will (Smith is) not playing every day, obviously, as a catcher. Just trying to figure out.

"But I felt today, with Teo (Hernandez) not being in there, this was the best lineup for today. And that’s kind of where I’m at right now.”

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For this season as a whole, Betts is hitting .235/.306/.361 with 11 home runs. His WAR is still at a solid 1.3 because of his defense, but in terms of run creation, he is below-replacement level more than halfway through the season.

When looking at the 32-year-old's advanced metrics, he ranks in the 99th percentile for squared up percentage, 80th percentile in chase percentage, 87th percentile in whiff rate, and 93rd percentile for strikeout rate.

His hitting approach is still sound, but he just isn't hitting the ball hard enough on a regular basis. He sits at the 19th percentile in barrel rate and the 16th percentile in hard hit percentage.

Hopefully with time, Betts can rediscover the bat that made him one of the best players in baseball, generating power from his small frame.

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For more Dodgers news, head over to Dodgers on SI.

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Nelson Espinal
NELSON ESPINAL

Nelson Espinal lives and breathes sports. Avidly following of everything ranging from motorsports to Mixed Martial Arts to tennis, he is connected with most of the sports world at all times. His dream of writing about sports started at 16 years of age, writing for a Lakers fans blog, and his passions for sports writing has grown since. He has his Bachelor's degree in Political Science, and a minor in writing literature from the University of California, San Diego.

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