AS many of you know already, batting order dynamics have undergone a shift in recent years, in large part due to the launch angle revolution and the institution of the universal DH. The philosophy of the #3 hitter being the best hitter in a team's lineup has in large part migrated up to the #2 slot in the batting order.
That's a big change from the "old days" when teams put singles hitters who might draw more walks than average into the #2 slot, in hopes of having an extra man on the basepaths when (the more occasional) long ball was hit (later codified into what some folks still call "the Earl Weaver strategy."
AND no one has embraced that strategy with more gusto than the Los Angeles Dodgers, who put the first piece of such a "1-2" punch into place when they acquired Mookie Betts in 2020. Last year they moved Freddie Freeman into the #2 slot behind him, and pushed themselves high up the list of such "1 + 2" offensive clusters (as we'll see in a moment).
This year, with the signing of Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers have a 1-2-3 punch that might be the best in baseball history. (We won't know, however, until our friends at Forman et soeur return the "1-3" batting order split to accessibility in their data. Along with all the others who've made a mid-air leap onto the "1-2" bandwagon, the "Refsters" have set aside the classic "top three, middle three, bottom three" configuration that we've seen ever since we were sucking our thumbs.
BUT that's OK, because Betts and Ohtani are ripping up the "1-2" modality at such a blazing clip that folks will likely want to focus on the "awesome twosome." And so now we give you the top 25 "1-2" performance since the beginning of divisional play, sorted in descending order of OPS+. After that buildup, we don't think you'll be surprised to see what team currently ranks #1...
THAT is right: the Betts-Ohtani Express is currently sporting a combined 178 OPS+, which is blowing away the current full season record, amassed primarily by Pete Rose and Joe Morgan for the 1976 Reds.
As we mentioned, the 2023 Dodgers (Betts/Freeman) rolled up a 148 OPS+ in the "1-2" slots, just behind the '76 and '69 Reds. (The '72 and '73 and '75 Reds are here as well, placing #7, #11 and #21 respectively.
IT's hard to imagine that Betts and Freeman will keep up an aggregate .343 BA, but barring an injury or a major slump, these guys are going to make some noise this year in terms of their mutual performance.
All in all, seven World Series teams (four winners, three losers) are represented here.
MORE on this shortly...stay tuned!
