Mookie Betts eyes wardrobe swap with Japanese star pitcher

Mookie Betts and other Dodgers teammates attended the eighth annual Blue Diamond Gala on Thursday. The event, organized by the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, saw attendees ranging from players and coaching staff to the front office and ownership.

While the players made their way through red carpet, reporter Doug McKain asked them which teammate they would choose to swap wardrobes with. Betts, the infielder, surprised everyone and chose Japanese pitching sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

“I would say Yamamoto. He has some swag, so I like his wardrobe,” Betts said.

Reliever Joe Kelly picked Dodgers manager Dave Roberts for wardrobe swap. While Freddie Freeman mentioned Betts and Kike Hernandez, he took the name of Jason Heyward. Roberts picked both Betts and Heyward, while Walker Buehler, who has a scheduled start on Monday, went with Betts.

Mookie Betts and Jason Heyward were the more popular choices for the question.

“People expect us to win every game”: Mookie Betts gives fans a reality check

Mookie Betts is having a fabulous season and has contributed right from the leadoff spot.

He’s also one of the reasons why the Dodgers are enjoying a comfortable lead atop the NL West. There’s no denying that he has built an early MVP case for himself, which also have Shohei Ohtani in it.

However, despite boasting one of the most highly paid bats, the Dodgers have had their rough stretch. However, it irked Mookie Betts when fans start demeaning the club as soon as Dodgers lost a game.

“People expect us to win every game,’’ Betts told USA TODAY Sports. “They expect us to hit homers every at-bat. It’s like we’re not humans.

“It’s a silly game. You’re going to have ups and downs no matter who you are. It’s inevitable. Remember, this game is based off failure, not success. It’s good to have those expectations though. The guys we have in here, the coaches, we have a lot of confidence. But we got to go play.’’

In April, Betts was named the National League Player of the Month. He’s batting .363 with a .464 on-base percentage, league best 1.054 OPS, 50 hits, 27 RBIs and 27 walks.