Dodgers News: Dave Roberts Explains Why Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman are ‘Most Valuable’
As the MLB season starts to wind down, the award races start to pick up. This is the time that people start paying closer attention to those in the running, as the players make their cases down the stretch of the year.
In the National League MVP race, we currently see two members of the Los Angeles Dodgers and two from the Atlanta Braves. Naturally, the Dodgers and Braves are the two best teams in the league right now, so the debate on who should win is on.
Manager Dave Roberts believes that his guys should be in the lead, but he also has acknowledged that he is able to see their production up close. He spoke about what makes his players the “most valuable.”
“You can’t argue the statistics, but when I have a guy that I can pencil in every single day, and that expects other guys on his team to do the same thing and to play a certain brand of baseball, that’s very valuable. He just doesn’t allow us to have a letdown. I personally think that’s very valuable.”
Roberts is talking about Freddie Freeman above, who currently would hold a slight lead over Mookie Betts in terms of the award. Freeman has been having an incredible year for LA and can be relied upon each night.
For the season, he is hitting .335 with 23 home runs and 83 runs batted in. His consistency has been the most impressive part of his season, and it has helped LA jump in the standings.
As for Betts, Roberts believes that his versatility is what helps him stand out.
“To have a superstar go and say ‘I’m a Gold Glover in right field and I’m gonna play shortstop or second base if we need it to give other guys an opportunity against a right-handed pitcher,’ that’s very valuable.”
On the year, he is hitting .295 with 31 home runs and 81 runs batted in. Like Freeman, he has helped carry the Dodgers offense to great heights this season.
Betts has played multiple positions for the Dodgers this season, granting them major flexibility. His leadership has been apparent in how the Dodgers have operated this year.
Both players are key members of how this team operates, and LA is going to need their All-Stars to keep up this level of production, as they go for another World Series.
