Dodgers' duo the most potent 1-2 punch in MLB

This story was excerpted from Juan Toribio’s Dodgers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

SEATTLE -- When the Dodgers signed Freddie Freeman last spring, they couldn’t stop gushing about having Freeman and Mookie Betts -- both in the primes of their respective careers -- hitting atop the order for the next six seasons.

With Betts and Freeman, the Dodgers immediately had the most feared 1-2 punch in the Majors. But somehow, after a year and a half of watching the two superstars atop the lineup, the early returns have been even more impressive than anyone hoped.

“It’s incredible, especially when one of them is hot,” said Dodgers catcher Will Smith, who is hitting right behind the duo this year. “That’s Mookie right now. Freddie goes through his waves during the season, but he’s on second base every single at-bat. It’s incredible. Mookie is hitting a homer every pitch he sees right now, it seems like.”

Over the past year and a half, Freeman has been the steadiest presence in the lineup for the Dodgers. When he signed with Los Angeles, the organization knew he was a superstar and one of the best players in the league. But after watching him on a daily basis, there’s an increased level of appreciation for his consistent performance.

Freeman entered the All-Star break as the only Dodger to play in all 89 games. That comes on the heels of playing in 159 games last season. After leading the Dodgers in almost every offensive category in 2022, he’s on pace to do so again in ‘23. He has 114 hits -- on pace to reach the 200-hit mark for the first time in his career. His .320 average also leads the squad, and his .952 OPS is second on the team -- behind Betts.

Freeman’s steadiness has, at least indirectly, helped Betts tremendously. Betts has been open about wanting to be more consistent over the course of a season and not rely on drastic highs to post his usual numbers. But right now, Betts is on one of his best stretches of his career.

In just the final two games before the break, Betts hit three homers. He has 26 homers through the first half, putting him on pace to hit more than 40 homers, which would eclipse his career high 35 that he set last season.

“Watching him the last month, it’s pretty amazing the run he’s on right now,” Freeman said. “It’s special. Every ball he hits is barrelled, the backspin. It feels like an extra-base hit every time he hits the ball right now. It’s just fun to watch and hitting 1-2 is nice. I get a really close view of it. He’s a special player. He’s been such a special player for a very long time and he’s continuing to do it.”

Just like Freeman has helped Betts, the opposite is also true. Just over the weekend, the Angels chose to intentionally walk Betts to get to Freeman. That’s not something Freeman is used to. Usually, teams are walking him to get to the batter behind him.

But that’s just how good the duo is. Opponents just have to pick their poison. It’s a good place to be if you’re the Dodgers. On Tuesday, that duo will be on display in the Midsummer Classic as Freeman will hit second for the National League and Betts will hit right behind him.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” Betts said. “But it’s been super cool hitting in front of Freddie. I know when I get on base, something is going to happen. … It’s very dynamic. A lot can happen in a short amount of time.”