Mookie Betts appears to be heating up at just the right time for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Dodgers, of course, are going for a three-peat. They’ve won back-to-back World Series championships. And they have the roster to do it again.
Betts hasn’t always been at his best the past couple seasons, but he remains one of the most accomplished players of his generation, so it’s never really a surprise when he does something special.
He did something special on Friday night. Betts, batting leadoff for the Dodgers, led off the game with a home run, but he wasn’t done.
Later on, Betts left the yard for a second time:
Mookie Betts’ second homer of the night and the @Dodgers third of the inning! pic.twitter.com/x41Yrs1Qeg
— MLB (@MLB) September 19, 2026
In the process, Betts made some MLB history — really, extended his own history.
Mookie Betts Holds MLB Record
Betts actually already holds the record for most multi-homer games out of the leadoff spot, and now he has added one to that.
MLB’s Sarah Langs shared the stat on X, with Betts atop the leaderboard at 27 leadoff games with multiple homers.
The likes of George Springer, Kyle Schwarber, Francisco Lindor, Ronald Acuna Jr. and Joc Pederson are all still active:
Most multi-HR games out of leadoff spot:
Mookie Betts: 27
George Springer: 24
Kyle Schwarber: 23
Alfonso Soriano: 19
Francisco Lindor: 16
Ronald Acuña Jr.: 15
Joc Pederson: 15 https://t.co/epsanHodqf— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) September 19, 2026
If Betts were to be worried about this record getting away from him, it’d probably be to Kyle Schwarber — if the Phillies keep leading their slugger off.
But regardless, for now, Betts has an incredible accomplishment.
Leadoff Hitter Power
The irony, of course, is that for so much of baseball history, the leadoff hitter wasn’t about power at all.
Teams put their fastest contact hitter atop the order. They wanted him to get on base and create havoc.
Betts is fast, too, but he’s part of a generation of speedsters who also have power — even though some of them, like Betts, aren’t the biggest guys.
He first arrived with the Boston Red Sox and was a star very quickly, and then he was part of a shocking trade to the Dodgers, where he has continued to be one of the sport’s best players.
Betts will turn 34 years old in October, when he’ll expect the Dodgers to still be playing baseball.
And even as he has aged, Mookie has remained dangerous. When he steps into the box to lead off a game, he’s capable of doing immense damage — and then you better watch out as the game goes on, too. Because if Betts gets one home run, he’s got a pretty decent chance of finding his way to another one, too.
Dodgers’ Mookie Betts Makes Baseball History With Expanded Record