Dodgers: Max Muncy Praises what Mookie Betts Has Brought to Team
Max Muncy celebrated his third straight National League West crown with the Dodgers last night. While the season has been mostly a struggle, he’s done his best to keep his chin up and contribute any way possible, in his own words.
Of course, Max has contributed a whole lot to the team over the last few seasons. With that, he has an understanding of what a player can bring to a team. Moreover, being the expert that he is, he was asked his thoughts on what offseason acquisition Mookie Betts has brought to his team in 2020 as the club celebrated its eighth straight NL West crown.
He brings a lot. He’s a winner, he’s won an MVP, he’s won a World Series — he knows how to get it done. And he’s someone that we all rely on because we’re still trying to get that done. He has the experience and the knowledge, and on top of that he’s one of the best players in baseball.
That’s a lot of Mookie love. Yes, the season has been short in 2020, but that hasn’t stifled Betts’ ability to make an impact with his teammates. The help he offered struggling catcher Austin Barnes has been well documented. His ability to stay engaged in every moment of every game has not been lost on Dodgers players. And that’s a big reason why Max sees his teammates gravitate towards Mookie.
A lot of guys like to pick his brain. He’s a great attitude out there. He likes having fun, he likes working hard — just a great guy to have around.
It’s hard to compared stats between this season and last with variables like season length and the implementation of the designated hitter to the NL, but when you do look at the numbers, you see the immediate dividends of a player like Mookie Betts in the lineup.
There are many numbers you can focus in on and cherry pick, but the great equalizer in team play comes in looking at the record and the winning percentage. In a sprint of a season, the Los Angeles Dodgers are the only team with a winning percentage above .700 (.709) at the moment. Can that be exclusively put on the impact of Mookie? Absolutely not, but you cannot contest the fact that helped the team in getting there.
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