The Dodgers are putting a lot of stock—and money—into their top three hitters, but it’s all for good cause, writes Bill Plunkett of the OC Register.

Will all Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, and Freddie Freeman be at their absolute best at the same time, all the time? Of course not. But it’s equally unlikely that all three will be slumping all at once, and that’s critical.

The trio have yet to go hitless in the same game so far this season, and while Freeman hasn’t caught fire like Betts and Ohtani have, he’s still batting .333.

Betts was 15 for his first 30 at bats with five homers in the first eight games, slowing down since then. Ohtani was the opposite: After a mild start, he’s now 13 for 30 with nine extra-bae hits, including three homers.

“Hitters hit,” said manager Dave Roberts. “And you’re talking about essentially 15 at-bats in a particular game (for all three), 13 or 15 at-bats in a particular game. It’s hard to imagine they’d go 0 for 15.”

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Max Muncy is optimistic about this season, writes Jack Harris at the Los Angeles Times. After a 2021 elbow injury that has still prevented him from reaching his full potential, Muncy is feeling as healthy as ever and sees a true return to form ahead.

Chad Jennings at The Athletic predicts that Mookie Betts is going to have “one of the most iconic season in baseball history” this year. It’s one of several takes the outlet has billed “early-season overreactions,” but it’s not too off base to say that Betts will likely have an incredible year, if not one of the best we’ve seen.

Ohtani’s first home run ball with the Dodgers could be worth $100,000 at auction, but would it have to be authenticated first? And how does that process work, anyways? Steve Henson at the Los Angeles Times explains the ins and outs, including the limitations of authenticating homers in the first place.