August: The Month of Mookie
August has been a phenomenal month for Dodgers’ superstar Mookie Betts. As the Dodgers prepare to face the Braves on Thursday night, Betts has put up astounding numbers, split time between two positions, led his team on a hot streak, and positioned himself as a serious contender for the NL MVP Award.
One more achievement adds to Betts’ remarkable month. He has seized the top spot in our Hitter Power Rankings, narrowly surpassing Shohei Ohtani, who had topped the rankings in our previous five polls. This marks the first time since June that someone other than Ohtani has claimed the number one position.
Our panel of MLB.com experts evaluated track records, season-long excellence, and recent performances when casting their votes. Let’s take a look at the latest edition of the Hitter Power Rankings, based on all statistics through Tuesday’s games.
Betts had a solid March and April, albeit slightly subpar by his standards with a .781 OPS. However, from May to July, he played at an MVP level, boasting a combined line of .292/.394/.606 with 23 home runs. Surpassing these impressive stats, Betts has elevated his performance even further in August. As of Wednesday, he held a dominant .452/.509/.808 with nine homers and 26 RBIs this month. He currently ranks second in the Majors in wRC+ (174), trailing only Ohtani, and holds the top spot in WAR as a position player (7.5, per FanGraphs). The question remains: where can Betts go from here?
Ohtani didn’t relinquish the top spot; Betts simply claimed it. Despite a disappointing August for Ohtani as a pitcher and for the struggling Angels, he continued his impressive performance as a designated hitter. He tops the Majors in triples (tied with eight), home runs (44), slugging percentage (.664), and OPS (1.074). Ohtani remains on track for an incredible 50-20 season, a feat accomplished only four times in MLB history.
Another player holding strong against Betts is Ronald Acuña Jr. He has maintained his position in the NL MVP race and our Hitter Power Rankings. Acuña boasts an OPS above .900 every month this season and leads the Majors in hits (177), on-base percentage (.417), steals (61), and runs scored (119). His next home run will make him the first player in MLB history to achieve a 30-60 season.
Freddie Freeman, having already surpassed 50 doubles (50 two-baggers), is closing in on a rare achievement. Since the franchise moved to Atlanta, only one Braves player (Andruw Jones in 2005) has led the Majors in home runs. Freeman has a legitimate chance to break that streak and potentially secure a 60-double season—an accomplishment yet to be achieved by any player in the last 86 years.
Eduardo Rodríguez has showcased an impressive surge in August. Typically, this late in the season, it’s challenging to significantly alter one’s season-long batting line in such a short period. However, Rodríguez has defied the odds. From an average .248/.310/.414 on August 4th, he has surged to .286/.346/.482—collecting 43 hits, including five four-hit games, in just 20 games.
Matt Olson of the Athletics is closing in on Ohtani in the race for home run leader. Since June 15, Olson has been slugging an impressive .715, making him a contender to become the second Braves player in franchise history to top the Majors in home runs.
Bryce Harper has made his first appearance in the Hitter Power Rankings this year. Due to a late start to the season after Tommy John surgery, it took Harper some time to find his form. However, his power stroke is now in full swing.
Corey Seager has faced significant time off due to injuries but is rapidly approaching the number of plate appearances needed to qualify for league leaderboards. Seager is a strong contender for the AL batting title, trailing the MLB leader, Luis Arraez, by a mere five points.
Young players such as Bobby Witt Jr., Julio Rodríguez, and Corbin Carroll have the potential to join the exclusive 30-30 club. Prior to the 2023 season, only Bobby Bonds, Jose Canseco, Alex Rodriguez, Mike Trout, and Ronald Acuña Jr. had achieved this feat.
Lastly, Yandy Díaz of the Tampa Bay Rays has consistently delivered outstanding performances throughout the season. Although he cooled off slightly after a red-hot start, Díaz is still batting an impressive .336 since the All-Star break, ranking among the top five qualified hitters with a 158 wRC+.
Notable mentions in the Hitter Power Rankings include Kyle Tucker (Astros), Cody Bellinger (Cubs), Jose Altuve (Astros), Marcell Ozuna (Braves), Ryan Mountcastle (Orioles), and Kerry Carpenter (Tigers).
The voters for these rankings are David Adler, Brett Blueweiss, Paul Casella, Doug Gausepohl, Thomas Harrigan, Sarah Langs, Travis Miller, Ricardo Montes de Oca, Brian Murphy, Sweeny Murti, Manny Randhawa, Efrain Ruiz, Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru, Andrew Simon, David Venn.