Dodgers notes: Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, NLDS matchup

Mookie Betts put on a show this regular season both offensively and defensively, putting him firmly in the race for the National League MVP Award.

The seven time All Star posted his best offensive season since his MVP season in 2018 with the Boston Red Sox, slashing .307/.408/.579 with 39 home runs, 107 RBI — the most out of the leadoff spot in a single season— a 167 wRC+ and an 8.3 fWAR. Defensively, Betts played stellar defense in right field and second base, handling spot starts at shortstop as well.

Mookie’s versatility on the field has been noticeable, but the gloves that he uses are more of a mystery.

J.P. Hoornstra of the Orange County Register writes about the two different gloves that Betts uses, pinpointing the process of making the gloves:

“Every year, before each season begins, Aso designs the 11½-inch infielder’s glove and the 12½-inch outfielder’s glove in Betts’ locker. Every year he heats three cups of water to 150-170 degrees Fahrenheit, and pours it over each glove to make the pocket deeper... Besides the length of each glove, their materials differ as well. Betts wears a SuperSkin synthetic leather glove in the outfield, which Wilson claims is twice as durable but half as light as the all-leather material that comprises Betts’ infield glove.”

Links

Freddie Freeman sat down with teammate Mookie Betts and discussed a variety of topics, including Freeman’s first big purchase after being drafted and riding on an ATV in a snowstorm with Braves legend Chipper Jones, in the Season 1 finale of the podcast On Base with Mookie Betts.

The 2023 National League Division Series between the Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks will begin this Saturday, marking the first time the two teams have met in October since the 2017 NLDS.

The staff of The Athletic gave their predictions for each Division series matchups and who will advance to the Championship Series:

Per Katie Woo: “This isn’t the powerhouse team you’ve come to expect from Los Angeles, but it’s hard not to put your faith in Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.”

Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times writes a column boldly stating that the Dodgers will win the 2023 World Series:

“In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible is about to happen again. The Dodgers will win the 2023 World Series.”