Dodgers Keep Mookie Betts in Leadoff Spot for NLCS Game 2

The Los Angeles Dodgers will keep Mookie Betts in the leadoff position for Game 2 of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday, October 12, 2026, at American Family Field in Milwaukee. The decision comes after Los Angeles lost the series opener 2-1 and seeks to address an offense that has struggled during the postseason, particularly with Shohei Ohtani's recent slump.

The Dodgers announced their lineup approximately 3 1/2 hours before the scheduled 5 p.m. ET first pitch. Betts will lead off ahead of Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernández and Ohtani, who moves to the cleanup position. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is scheduled to start for Los Angeles against rookie right-hander Logan Henderson.

According to the published lineup, Betts enters the game with a .257 batting average and .454 slugging percentage for the regular season. Ohtani has hit .275 with a .512 slugging percentage, while Freeman has recorded a .288 average and .430 slugging percentage.

Manager Dave Roberts pointed to Betts' recent hitting form when explaining the lineup decision, according to Sports Illustrated.

"Mookie's swinging the bat well," Roberts said.

Betts hit .366, going 26-for-71 with six home runs and 21 RBIs during his first 18 games in September. Although Ohtani had generally been expected to lead off against right-handed pitchers after returning from the injured list, the Dodgers have instead placed Betts first against Henderson, a right-hander.

Betts has substantial experience in the leadoff role. According to StatMuse, he has a .295 career batting average, 232 home runs, 668 RBIs and 909 runs scored in 1,090 games as a leadoff hitter, with a .376 on-base percentage and .912 OPS.

His opportunities at the top of the order were limited during the regular season. According to FanGraphs, he batted leadoff in nine games, hitting .324 with four home runs and nine RBIs in 37 at-bats. He occupied the fourth spot in the lineup for 43 games.

Betts has gone 4-for-18 in the 2026 postseason, with a .364 on-base percentage and no home runs or RBIs, according to MLB.com. His career postseason batting average stands at .252, with eight home runs and 42 RBIs in 381 at-bats.

Los Angeles faces a broader offensive challenge after producing limited results in the series opener. The Associated Press reported that the Dodgers went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position, grounded into three double plays and left nine runners on base in Game 1.

Andy Pages drove in the team's only run with a single in the second inning that scored Ohtani. Will Smith has gone 1-for-19 in the postseason, while Ohtani is 3-for-16 without an extra-base hit or RBI, according to the Associated Press.

The Dodgers have scored 15 runs across five postseason games, compared with 24 over the same span in 2024 and 29 in 2025, the Associated Press reported. Betts expressed encouragement about the team's continued opportunities to generate offense.

"It's encouraging because we keep applying pressure," Betts said, according to DodgersBeat.

The Brewers enter Game 2 with a 1-0 series advantage after holding on for a 2-1 victory in the opener. A second consecutive loss would leave Los Angeles trailing 2-0 in the best-of-seven series. MLB.com reported that teams have recovered from a 2-0 deficit to win a best-of-seven series 16 times in 95 attempts, a rate of approximately 17%.

Yamamoto, listed with a 14-9 record and 2.53 ERA, will start for the Dodgers. Henderson, who is listed with an 11-3 record and 2.47 ERA, will take the mound for Milwaukee as the Brewers attempt to extend their advantage.

Betts turned 34 on October 7. The Nashville native was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the fifth round of the 2011 draft and made his major league debut on June 29, 2014. He won the American League MVP award and batting title in 2018 before joining the Dodgers in a trade ahead of the 2020 season.

His career honors include four World Series titles, eight All-Star selections, six Gold Gloves and seven Silver Slugger awards. During the 2026 regular season, Betts hit .257 with 23 home runs, 69 RBIs and a .780 OPS across 123 games.