Dodgers’ big 3 could be unlike any other

There is so much to look forward to regarding the Dodgers’ lineup this season. The potential is hard to even quantify, and the historic possibilities are a researcher’s dream to parse through. With their season set to begin in Seoul, South Korea, now is the perfect time to dive into the context.

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This is a team with the reigning and two-time unanimous American League MVP in Shohei Ohtani, the 2020 NL MVP in Freddie Freeman and the 2018 AL MVP in Mookie Betts. And don’t let the years of Freeman and Betts’ MVPs fool you; they’re still in their prime and finished in the top three for MVP last year.

Here’s a look at five ways the Dodgers’ top three can and will be historic in 2024.

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2023 MVP finishes
As noted above, all three finished in the top three for MVP in their leagues last season. It’s not often that three such players are teammates the following season. In fact, we have not seen a team begin a season with three players who each finished in the top three in MVP voting in the previous season since the 2004 Yankees.

The Yankees traded for reigning AL MVP Alex Rodriguez entering ‘04 and signed free agent Gary Sheffield, who had finished third in the NL. Jorge Posada had finished third as a member of the Yankees.

In total, the 2024 Dodgers will be the fifth team to begin a season with three players who finished top three in MVP voting in the prior year, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The other three instances were the 1967 Orioles (Frank Robinson AL MVP, Brooks Robinson second, Boog Powell third), 1960 White Sox (Nellie Fox, Luis Aparicio, Early Wynn) and 1942 Dodgers (Dolph Camilli, Pete Reiser, Whitlow Wyatt). But unlike these Dodgers or the ‘04 Yankees, those were not partially acquired trios, but rather had been teammates when they finished top-three as well.

MVPs batting 1-2-3
One piece of offseason intrigue after the Dodgers signed Ohtani was the question of which order he and Freeman would bat after Betts. When all three played in a Cactus League game for the first time on Feb. 27, we learned that it would be Betts-Ohtani-Freeman.

When that order happens for the first time on Opening Day, the Dodgers will be the first team to have a starting lineup with at least three former MVPs batting sequentially (one through nine) since the 1996 Red Sox with Mo Vaughn, Jose Canseco and Kevin Mitchell, according to Elias.

They will be the first to have former MVPs in the top three spots, specifically, since the 1983 Phillies with Joe Morgan, Pete Rose and Mike Schmidt, in 10 games that season. The only other instances of all-former-MVP top threes were the Reds on May 13, 1978, with Rose, Morgan and George Foster and on May 5, 1976, with Rose, Morgan and Johnny Bench.

That means the Dodgers will be the first team to utilize an MVP top three for their everyday lineup.

Top 5 in WAR as teammates?
Looking at tangible production, Betts (second), Freeman (third) and Ohtani (fifth) all ranked top five in MLB in position-player WAR, per FanGraphs, in 2023. If they do so again as teammates, it would be historic.

Only three teams since 1900 have had three of the top five in MLB in position-player WAR in a season: 1948 Cleveland, the 1942 Yankees and 1904 Cleveland. When it last happened in ‘48, there were just 16 MLB teams, making this a slightly easier feat to pull off.

That year, Lou Boudreau was second in WAR among position players, while Joe Gordon and Ken Keltner tied for fifth. In 1942, Gordon, then a Yankee, was second, with Charlie Keller third and Joe DiMaggio fifth. And in 1904, Cleveland’s Nap Lajoie was second, Elmer Flick fourth and Bill Bradley tied for fifth.

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160 OPS+ each as teammates?
Here’s another stat worth keeping an eye on. Ohtani (184), Betts (163) and Freeman (161) each had at least a 160 OPS+ in 2023, meaning they were all at least 60% better offensively than MLB average. If they each reach that mark as teammates, it, too, would be historic.

Only two AL/NL teams since 1900 have had three qualified players with at least a 160 OPS+ in a season: the 1963 Giants, with Willie Mays (175 OPS+), Orlando Cepeda (165) and Willie McCovey (161), and the 1929 Yankees, with Babe Ruth (193), Lou Gehrig (166) and Tony Lazzeri (160).

MVP possibilities
Pretty much every NL MVP prediction list has Betts, Freeman and Ohtani among the favorites. There are multiple angles to consider for context, if any of the three were to win.

Only one player has won MVP in both leagues: Frank Robinson (1961 Reds, 1966 Orioles). If Betts or Ohtani were to win, they would join that list.

But beyond that, only five players have won an MVP Award with two franchises since the BBWAA began voting on the award in 1931: Robinson, Barry Bonds (Pirates, Giants), Rodriguez (Rangers, Yankees), Jimmie Foxx (Athletics, Red Sox) and Bryce Harper (Nationals, Phillies). Any one of the three would join with a win.

And what if all three are top MVP contenders, as expected? We’ve covered teammates to finish first and second for MVP, but to be first, second and third is even rarer. The only teams to have players do so were the 1966 Orioles, 1959 White Sox and 1941 Dodgers noted above.

Will the 2024 Dodgers join them? Only time will tell, and it will be a joy to watch play out.