Two Down, One to Go for Betts

Dodger outfielder Mookie Betts has been awarded the 2020 National League Louisville Silver Slugger.

Betts, 28, earns his third straight Louisville Silver Slugger award, fourth overall, and his first as a Dodger.

This is the second straight season a Dodger has received the award, as Betts follows Cody Bellinger, who won the award last season. With the honor, Betts becomes the 20th player in franchise history to earn the award since its inception in 1980, and it is the 28th time a Dodger has received a Silver Slugger award. He becomes the sixth player in franchise history to earn the Rawlings Gold Glove and Louisville Silver Slugger in the same season, joining Bellinger (2019), Adrían González (2014), Matt Kemp (2011), Russell Martin (2007), and Dusty Baker (1981).

As a Dodger, Betts hit .292 (64-for-129) with nine doubles, 16 homers, 10 stolen bases and 39 RBI in 55 games. The Nashville, TN native ranked among the National League leaders in hits (T-10th), runs (47, 4th), batting average (16th), OBP (.366, 17th), SLG (.562, 13th), OPS (.927, 13th), total bases (123, 7th), extra-base hits (26, T-13th) steals (T-5th) and home runs (16, T-3rd). 

Betts, a finalist for the 2020 National League Most Valuable Player, culminated his stellar regular season by leading the Dodgers to a World Championship and hitting safely in 14 of 18 playoff games, while batting .296 (21-for-71) with eight doubles, two home runs, six stolen bases, and eight RBI. Additionally, he recorded his 1,000th career hit and 500th career RBI in the 2020 campaign and is one of 18 outfielders in MLB history with four or more Louisville Silver Slugger awards.

Betts’ eighth-inning solo home run in Game-6 of the World Series gave the Dodgers a much-needed insurance run. (Video capture courtesy of Fox Sports)

The Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Awards are the top offensive honor in Major League Baseball. Coaches and managers of Major League teams vote for the players they feel are the best offensive producers at each position in the field in both the American and National Leagues. They base their selections on a combination of offensive statistics, including batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage, as well as the coaches’ and managers’ general impressions of a player’s overall offensive value. Managers and coaches are not allowed to vote for players on their own team.

Two down, one to go, Mookie.

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(Article courtesy of LA Dodgers)

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