The Los Angeles Dodgers enter the 2024 MLB season as World Series favorites after signing Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto this offseason, and while Mookie Betts being moved to shortstop is one of the more intriguing stories this spring training, it is a move that could be concerning for the team and overall defensive alignment this season.
Mookie Betts is one of the true superstars in MLB, and his positional versatility provides value for the Dodgers, as he has played second base in a pinch for them in prior seasons. However, for a team that has spent this much on a team, it is a bit of an indictment that they need to use someone who has been a great outfielder in the past at the most important defensive position.
Betts played the majority of the time at second base in 2023, and he had a solid season defensively with six Defensive Runs Saved and -1 Outs Above Average, according to FanGraphs. He did play 98 innings at shortstop, recording zero Outs Above Average and -2 Outs Above Average. That is a small sample, but if Betts plays at that level for the 2024 season, the Dodgers will have bad defense at shortstop, barring an acquisition. The fact that they view this as a better option than starting Gavin Lux playing shortstop is a bit concerning.
There are other issues with the Dodgers' defensive alignment, however. One of those issues is next to Betts on the left side of the infield.
Max Muncy's defense at third base is a concern
In the years before Freddie Freeman signed with the Dodgers, Max Muncy fit right in at first base. However, since Freeman signed with the team, Muncy has been forced to move to the other side of the diamond, where he was lackluster in 2023.
In 1052 innings at third base in 2023, Muncy had -3 Defensive Runs Saved and -7 Outs Above Average, according to FanGraphs. Not to mention, he made a costly defensive mistake in the Dodgers' 15-11 loss to the San Diego Padres in the second game of the tw0 game series in Seoul.
Max Muncy is not having a great time in the field today pic.twitter.com/Spk1qJ8yQQ
— Dillard Barnhart (@BarnHasSpoken2) March 21, 2024
If Max Muncy had made that play, the Dodgers' three runs in the next inning would have tied the game. Maybe the following innings play out differently and the Dodgers get a win.
Luckily for the Dodgers, the right side of the infield is a bit less of a concern. Gavin Lux's best position so far in his career defensively has been second base, and at this point in his career, Freeman is still a solid enough defender at first base.
Other defensive concerns for the Dodgers
The Dodgers have solid enough defense in center field and right field with James Outman and Jason Heyward. Teoscar Hernandez is projected to play mostly in left field, and he has had a mostly negative ratings in the outfield throughout his career by Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average. Still, he should not impact the defense overall in the outfield.
However, the concern for the Dodgers comes if potential injuries hit. They have Betts playing out of position with a healthy squad. What happens if an outfielder gets hurt? Does Betts go back out to right field, or does he stay at shortstop?
If Betts goes to the outfield, that means Gavin Lux probably moves back to shortstop, where he does not grade out well and the Dodgers have shown they do not want him playing there already.
The good news is that there is still time for the Dodgers to make roster moves to solve this interesting dilemma when it comes to their defensive alignment. However, if the infield looks like this come the postseason, the defense on the left side of the diamond could to be prove costly in a short series where the margins are so thin.
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