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We are at the halfway point of the season, and Mookie Betts has been everything the Dodgers could have hoped for and more. He leads the team in hits (33), runs scored (25), home runs (11), RBI (24), stolen bases (five), slugging percentage (.664), and OPS (1.032).
The last Dodger to lead the team in those categories was ... well, it was Cody Bellinger just last year. Betts this year also leads in batting average (and is tied for the lead in doubles, with seven), while Bellinger was behind only David Freese in 2019.
Bellinger is one of only four Dodgers to lead the team in both home runs and stolen bases in the same season, along with Willie Davis (1972), Davey Lopes (1979) and Matt Kemp (2011).
Leading LA Dodgers in HR & SB
| Year | Player | HR | SB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | HR | SB |
| 1972 | Willie Davis | 19* | 20 |
| 1979 | Davey Lopes | 28* | 44 |
| 2011 | Matt Kemp | 39 | 40 |
| 2019 | Cody Bellinger | 47 | 15 |
Betts this season is second in the National League in home runs, one behind Fernando Tatis, Jr., and tied for sixth in steals, three behind Jonathan Villar. Only four Dodgers have finished in the top five in both categories — Jimmy Sheckard (1903), Babe Herman (1930-31), Duke Snider (1950, 1953), and Kemp (2011).
Betts in his MVP season of 2018 finished fifth in the American League with 30 steals, and finished ninth with 32 home runs. That’s his only season finishing in the top 10 in home runs.
On Sunday, Betts became the first Dodger ever and the 19th major leaguer since 1901 with two home runs and two steals in the same game, which is probably why his power and speed numbers are at the front of my mind.
Betts has 14 career games with at least one home run and one steal.
A steal might not be in the cards on Tuesday night though. The Giants are in the middle of the pack, allowing a league-average 13 stolen bases this season. Johnny Cueto has allowed only one, and in his career he’s given up only 36 steals in 302 starts.
This is Cueto’s third time facing the Dodgers this year. He allowed five runs in 9⅔ innings in his two starts at Dodger Stadium, getting the win on August 8 when he took a no-hitter into the sixth inning.
The Dodgers are 4-3 (.571) against San Francisco this season, and 18-5 (.783) against everyone else.
Game info
Time: 6:45 p.m. PT
TV: SportsNet LA, FS1