Mookie Betts was named National League Player of the Week for games played August 21-27, joining Max Muncy (April 17-23) and Freddie Freeman (July 31-August 6) as members of the Los Angeles Dodgers to earn the honor this season.
Freeman additionally has taken home NL Player of the Month honors (May) this season, which Betts figures to be in strong position to do for the month of August.
This marks a fifth time in Betts’ career he has won a Player of the Week award. The 30-year-old previously did so with the Boston Red Sox in 2015 and twice in 2017. He previously had been named NL Player of the Week one year ago, during games played August 22-28.
Betts’ latest recognition comes by way of a wildly successful road trip that was punctuated with an impressive performance in his first visit to Fenway Park since being traded to the Dodgers in February 2020.
Betts started in all six of the Dodgers’ games during the designated period, hitting .615/.655/.885 with four doubles, one home run, seven RBI and three walks. He tallied 16 hits in 29 at-bats and also scored nine runs.
Included in that stretch was Betts tying a career high with five hits in one game. Though, technically it occurred over a two-day stretch because play was suspended against the Cleveland Guardians due to inclement weather and an aggressive grounds crew at Progressive Field.
Betts’ current 1.018 on-base plus slugging percentage this season is tracking to be his highest in four seasons with the Dodgers. He already has matched a career-best with 35 home runs, which originally was set last year.
Overall this season, he enters play Monday night batting .315/.407/.611 with 36 doubles, one triple, 35 home runs and 93 RBI.
Mookie Betts passed Ronald Acuña Jr. in 2023 NL MVP odds
In the midst of a torrid stretch, Betts overtook Atlanta Braves All-Star Ronald Acuña Jr. in 2023 NL MVP odds. Betts now is the NL MVP favorite, which doesn’t come as much of a surprise considering his torrid month of August.
Acuña holds an edge over Betts and leads the NL in runs scored (115 to 110) and stolen bases (59 to 10). Acuña, impressively, is on track to become the first player with 30 home runs and 60 stolen bases in MLB history.
Acuña additionally is ahead of Betts in on-base percentage (.413 to .407), though both trail Freeman (.417).
Betts leads the NL in slugging percentage, OPS, wRC+ (173), and WAR for FanGraphs (7.3) and Baseball Reference (7.4).
Betts potentially may join Frank Robinson as the only player in MLB history to win MVP in both leagues. Robinson was named NL MVP with the Cincinnati Reds in 1961, and he took home the award in the American League while playing for the Baltimore Orioles in 1966.
Betts won the 2018 AL MVP with the Red Sox.
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