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Throughout the season the CBS Sports MLB experts will bring you a weekly Batting Around roundtable breaking down pretty much anything. The latest news, a historical question, thoughts about the future of baseball, all sorts of stuff. Last week we debated the game's most underrated player. This week we're going to discuss two great pairs of elite players ahead of the Braves-Dodgers showdown this weekend.

Would you rather have Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman or Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson?

R.J. Anderson: I would gladly take either duo and be on my way to fielding a good lineup. I think if we're just talking about a game played tonight, I'd go with Betts and Freeman. They rank first and third in Wins Above Replacement since 2020 for a reason. If we're talking about the next few years, with ages and contracts factored in, then I think you roll with Acuña and Olson. Again, though, we're talking about four of the best players in the game today. I don't think there's a "wrong" answer here.

Matt Snyder: I think I'm gonna go with Mookie and Freddie. It's razor thin. These are the top four NL MVP candidates right now, after all. My separation points are that I think Olson has a lower floor than Freeman, offensively, given the .240 average last season and somewhat high strikeout rate along with the added versatility provided by Betts' ability to play infield. That's one of the few things Acuña hasn't proven he can do at the big-league level. That's it. I'm simply saying Olson's batting average can be significantly lower than Freeman's and Betts' versatility is a bit better than Acuña's. That's how close it is.

Dayn Perry: If we were talking about the next five years, then I'd go Acuña and Olson. In the here and now, though, I lean Betts and Freeman. Betts and Acuña are, in my mind, pretty comparable both in terms of present performance and near-term outlook. Freeman, meantime, is solidly better than Olson right now, thanks in part to his superior on-base skills and fielding. These things will change because of the age disparity at some point, but right now give me the Dodgers' duo. 

Mike Axisa: This is one of those "no wrong answer" questions. You pick first and I'll happily take the other guys. Right now, in the year 2023, I would take Betts and Freeman. I consider Freeman the best pure hitter in the sport and I see Mookie and Acuña as comparable. I would take Acuña and Olson over the next five years, and I would take them if we were considering contracts, but on the field right now, Mookie and Freeman are my pick. Acuña and Olson are excellent though. Betts and Freeman are the only tandem I would take over the Braves' duo.