Mookie Betts Believes He Could've Challenged Dodgers Teammate For NL MVP Award

Maren Angus-Coombs | Sep 9, 2024

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts was having quite the start to his season when he was hit on the hand by a pitch. He was diagnosed with a fracture and missed two months, which effectively thwarted any chance he had at winning the National League MVP award.

It is likely that his teammate, Shohei Ohtani, wins the award — but that didn't stop Betts from telling Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register that his injury possibly robbed baseball of a two-man, one-team race for the prestigious award.

“Yeah, for sure,” Betts said. “That’s always a personal goal. Personal goals don’t really matter. You’d like to get them. But stuff like that, that’s ancillary-type things.

“That would have been cool. But God has his plans.”

Since the American League introduced the designated hitter rule in 1973, and the National League followed suit in 2022, no player who primarily served as a DH — without also pitching — has ever won the MVP award.

Full-time designated hitters have placed as high as second in MVP voting on four occasions. David Ortiz came closest in 2005 with the Boston Red Sox, earning 11 first-place votes, but finishing behind Alex Rodriguez, who received 16.

“If he stole 50 bags, he probably would have won it,” Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts said of ‘Big Papi’s’ near-miss.

Ohtani has changed the minds of multiple teammates who don't believe that full-time designated hitters should win the coveted award.

“I always thought that (a DH shouldn’t win the MVP award),” said Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, who made two starts at DH while winning the NL award with Atlanta in 2020. “But the things he’s doing this year, it’s hard to argue against it.”

After Sunday's game, Ohtani has 46 home runs and 46 stolen bases with a few weeks to play. If he reaches 50-50, there shouldn't be a doubt.

“I think as baseball people it’s hard to view a DH as winning MVP. But you look up and he has a chance to do something no one’s done before,” Freeman said. “I’ve always thought it would be hard for a DH to win. He’s only out there for four or five at-bats (per game). But when you can potentially go 50-50, we might have to re-think that.

“It would be different if someone else playing was having a ridiculous year too.”

Freeman and Betts have changed their minds after watching Ohtani have a monstrous season. No player in baseball history has done what he has done and it might be a while before someone does it again.

“I’m not for it. But no DH has ever done what he’s done either,” said Betts, who made three starts at DH during his AL MVP season with the Red Sox in 2018. “I just think the best player that helps his team win – whether it’s all offense or all defense, that’s the MVP. The Most Valuable Player, that’s what it is.

“There’s no right or wrong. I do know without him we wouldn’t be where we are now. You can go with whatever you go off of. But I know we wouldn’t be here without him.”