Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman deserve much of the credit for the Los Angeles Dodgers running away with first place in the NL West. The Dodgers' stars are not only among the top 2023 NL MVP candidates; Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman have been a historically effective pairing at the top of the lineup.

The Dodgers' leadoff hitter, Betts has a .968 OPS. It gives Los Angeles a 183-point advantage over the rest of the No. 1 hitters in baseball, according to MLB.com. Freeman gives the Dodgers an even greater advantage over the sport's other No. 2 hitters. The first baseman's 1.005 OPS is 233 points better than the other players who occupy the same spot in the lineup around the league.

Los Angeles has received a .970 OPS from its top two spots in the lineup and a .740 OPS from its No. 3-No.9 hitters. The 230-point difference is the largest in MLB history, and it isn't particularly close. According to MLB.com, last year's Los Angeles Angels had a 194-point OPS difference between their leadoff and No. 2 hitter vs. the rest of the lineup. It had been the biggest gap until Betts and Freeman started their historic 2023 campaign as teammates.

There are plenty of Betts and Freeman stats that highlight just how important the hitters have been to the Dodgers' success in 2023. They are the first pair of Dodgers teammates to each have at least 60 extra-base hits through 110 games in 94 years. Freeman's 6.0 WAR is second in the National League, according to FanGraphs. Betts is third with a 5.8 WAR.

Betts won the 2018 AL MVP award with the Boston Red Sox. Freeman was the 2020 NL MVP winner with the Atlanta Braves. Although Ronald Acuna Jr. is the heavy favorite to win this year's award, the Dodgers' stars are making the race interesting.