We’ve seen greatness from Mookie Betts before. But this version, the 2018 edition of Mookie Betts, the one who hit three home runs Wednesday for the second time this season, this breathtakingly gifted right fielder who has raised the curtain on his new role as a bona fide home run hitter by launching 11 and slugging .823 through his first 26 games, this Mookie Betts, we haven’t met.

Asked if he was tempted to drop Betts from his leadoff perch into the heart of the batting order, Manager Alex Cora could only shake his head and smile. His response did double-duty as an ode to the latest, greatest Mookie Betts as well as a reminder that nobody needs to tinker with him.

“The temptation is to move him higher, probably,” said Cora after the 5-4 victory over the Royals in which Betts’ third and mightiest home run in the seventh inning to left-center field nearly jack-knifed the flagpole to provide the winning cushion. “He’ll hit leadoff for us for the rest of the season.”

Exactly how much more damage Betts can create over the next five months is the delightfully suspenseful can-he-do-it mystery tale that could make the summer of 2018 unforgettable.

A special season from a special player who happens to be playing on a 22-8 team that is off to its own pretty nifty start as well.

Betts, 25, now has one more three-homer game – four in all – than any other Red Sox in history. Ted Williams had three. Only 16 players since 1908 have had four three-homer games and the lone active player is Albert Pujols of the Angels.

And Wednesday, Betts passed Boog Powell and Ralph Kiner for the most such games by any player younger than 26.

“I know what I can do and I know I have the ability to drive the ball, and I’m kind of showing it. I think it’s more surprising, kind of, to everybody else,” said Betts. “Some of it is surprising to myself, like the last one (Wednesday), but I know I can drive it, but it’s just a matter of using the whole field and driving it everywhere.”

When Betts could only muster two home runs last week in the Toronto series, the second one was muscled over the right-field fence. For a hitter who had almost exclusively shown his pop to his left side, Betts said at the time that he was pleased to see “how to use my strength instead of just going off ability.”

None of his three solo shots Wednesday went to right field; all were to left or left-center. But his strength-maximizing approach is driving his success.

“Honestly, I’m trying to hit it to center to right-center, it just happens that I keep pulling it,” said Betts. “I’m obviously not going to make any adjustments. If it goes to right-center, it goes. If it goes to left-center, it goes. I’ll just do whatever works.”

Betts’ insights and results speak in large part to him finding a kindred soul in new teammate J.D. Martinez, who is a 24/7-type of hitter when it comes to putting in the time and effort needed to hone and perfect his powerful swing. Betts’ slugging percentage last year dipped to .459 after he slugged .534 the year before. And 2016 was the last year David Ortiz played for the Red Sox. Last year, Betts had no big bopper in the lineup.

That’s changed this year.

“It’s been pretty good. It’s still really early, a lot of things can happen, but I think it’s just kind of coming from the guys around me,” said Betts. “The guys around me can do damage so I think all of us just kind of make pitchers, I don’t know if it’s afraid, but make them have to concentrate more. Sometimes it works for them. Sometimes it doesn’t.”

Martinez is clearly smitten with how Betts badgers him for hitting tips.

“For me, he’s hungry for information, he wants information and just being able to talk to him is always talking about hitting,” he said. “Every time I’m next to him he’s always in my ear, talking about hitting, talking about hitting, and it just seems like to me I can relate to it a lot because he’s not satisfied and I love that about him. That’s what makes him special.”

Martinez, who has a four-home run game under his belt, enjoyed the show as much as anyone else.

“It’s fun. I told Alex we should give him three days off more often,” said Martinez, referring to the fact that Betts’ start Wednesday was his first since slightly straining his right hamstring Saturday.

The easiest decision Cora will make every day is putting Betts atop the lineup.

If only he could put Betts’ name higher.

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