Dodgers notes: Mookie Betts, Max Muncy

Mookie Betts has spent the majority of his big league career as one of the premiere leadoff hitters in all baseball, and he continues to impress. Betts crushed his 17th leadoff shot for the Dodgers in Monday’s win against the Giants, tying himself with the legendary Ichiro Suzuki for tenth on the all time leadoff home run list.

Betts remains a catalyst for sparking any sort of offense, and when he sets the tone for the rest of the lineup, they respond in similar fashion, as the Dodgers now have a 2-0 record when Betts collects two or more hits on the young season. Yet despite his recent successes, Betts, similar to last season, has considered the start to his season as some what of a disappointment. Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register notes how Dave Roberts reacted to Betts calling his start “trash”:

“It’s typical of Mookie, man. It’s like (long-time college football coach) Lou Holtz, where he was always the underdog, everyone’s better and he’s just gonna try hard. Mookie’s always trash. He knows he’s the best player on the field every day.”

Links

• Noah Camras of Sports Illustrated shares how Dave Roberts’ feels about Max Muncy’s defensive woes at third base.
• Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic breaks down the approach Max Muncy took during his breakout 7-RBI performance against the Giants Monday night.