Quick Answer
Through games on June 24, 2026, Dalton Rushing is hitting .252 with eight home runs, 22 RBIs and an .821 OPS over 135 at-bats in his rookie season as the Los Angeles Dodgers’ primary catcher. Mookie Betts, who moved to shortstop full time in 2025 and was a National League Gold Glove finalist there, is anchoring the position again in 2026 after publicly committing to it during spring training.
The Dodgers’ lineup is built around Betts at shortstop and at the top of the order, with Rushing’s left-handed bat slotted into the lower middle of the order behind Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith. Rushing also takes regular reps at first base to keep his bat in the lineup on Will Smith catching days.
Dalton Rushing’s 2026 numbers
Per MLB.com, Baseball-Reference and Baseball Savant, Rushing’s 2026 line through late June:
- Batting average. .252
- On-base percentage. .340
- Slugging percentage. .481
- OPS. .821 (Baseball Savant lists .881 through games on June 24)
- Home runs. 8
- RBIs. 22
- At-bats. 135
For context, the average MLB catcher in 2025 produced an OPS of roughly .680. Rushing is sitting more than 130 points above that mark in his first full season, while playing the most physically demanding defensive position on the field. His walk-to-strikeout ratio has held up against major league breaking pitches, which was the single biggest scouting question coming out of Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Background
Rushing is a 25 year old left-handed hitter from Memphis, Tennessee, drafted by the Dodgers in the second round (40th overall) in 2022 out of the University of Louisville. He made his major league debut in 2025 and produced a modest .204 line in a 142 at-bat sample before the organization committed to him as the long-term partner for Will Smith behind the plate.
Mookie Betts at shortstop in 2026
Mookie Betts moved permanently from right field to shortstop during the 2024 season after Gavin Lux’s injury and stayed there through 2025, finishing as a National League Gold Glove finalist at the position. The Athletic reported in February 2026 that Betts spent the offseason “rewiring” his body for the position, and manager Dave Roberts publicly confirmed in December 2025 that Betts would remain the everyday shortstop in 2026.
Betts has now committed to shortstop as his primary position for the foreseeable future. He continues to bat leadoff or second in the order depending on Roberts’ matchup choices. The combination of an elite hitter playing a premium defensive position is the structural advantage the Dodgers’ entire lineup is built around.
How the pairing fits the Dodgers lineup
The 2026 Dodgers run a standard order along these lines (left-handed pitcher version):
- Mookie Betts (SS)
- Shohei Ohtani (DH or RHP)
- Freddie Freeman (1B)
- Will Smith (C)
- Teoscar Hernández (RF)
- Max Muncy (3B)
- Tommy Edman (CF)
- Dalton Rushing (C or 1B)
- Pitcher’s spot (or Andy Pages / James Outman)
On days when Will Smith catches, Rushing slides to first base or DH and Freeman moves accordingly. This is the defensive flexibility manager Dave Roberts has been chasing since spring training. The net effect is that the Dodgers can carry two of the better catching bats in the National League and still field Betts at shortstop and Ohtani at DH simultaneously, which no other team in baseball can do.
Why Rushing’s arrival matters
Will Smith remains the starting catcher, but he is 31 years old and has caught more than 130 games in each of the last three seasons. Catcher workload directly correlates with second-half offensive collapse and with playoff injuries. By splitting catching duties roughly 60 to 40 between Smith and Rushing, the Dodgers can:
- Keep both catchers fresh into October.
- Use Rushing’s left-handed bat against right-handed starters on Smith’s rest days.
- Carry a third catcher only as an emergency option in the playoff bullpen, freeing a roster spot for a high leverage reliever.
For Betts, the workload concern runs the other direction. Shortstop is the most demanding non-catcher position on the field, and Roberts has publicly said he will rest Betts more aggressively in day games after night games during the summer.
What to watch in the second half
Three things to monitor:
- Rushing’s framing and blocking numbers. Baseball Savant publishes both metrics. He entered the season as a slightly below-average framer and an average blocker; if those numbers climb, the Dodgers can ride him deeper into the playoffs.
- Betts’ defensive runs saved at shortstop. He was at +12 in 2025; sustaining that pace in 2026 would lock down a real Gold Glove.
- The Will Smith workload. If Smith continues to start at the current rate into August, expect the Dodgers to give him 7 to 10 day stretches off in September to manage him into October.
The takeaway
Through late June 2026, Dalton Rushing is producing top-tier rookie catcher numbers (.252 / .340 / .481, 8 HR, 22 RBI), and Mookie Betts has fully settled into shortstop after a Gold Glove caliber 2025. Their pairing is what allows the Dodgers to carry two premium catching bats, an MVP at shortstop and Shohei Ohtani at DH simultaneously, and it is the single biggest structural reason the Dodgers enter the second half as the betting favorite to repeat in the National League.
