Mookie Betts’ Timely Turnaround Provides Optimism With Playoffs Nearing
Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts has quietly been one of the team's best performers—if not the best—for the past couple of weeks.
Mookie Betts, the Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop, has been a standout performer for the team over the past few weeks, which is a promising sign as they prepare for the playoffs. After struggling during the first half of the season, Betts has shown significant improvement since the All-Star break, with his on-base percentage (OPS) and weighted runs created plus (wRC+) numbers trending upward.
Since August 19, he has been even more impressive, reaching base in every game he's appeared at bat and leading the team with a team-leading 162 wRC+. He has also hit two home runs and contributed 12 RBIs during this stretch. Betts had a strong finish to August and carried that momentum into September, leading the Dodgers with an impressive start to the month.
In the five games played so far, he has eight hits in 20 at-bats, 7 RBIs, and a .500 on-base percentage, scoring a run in each of the Dodgers' games this month. His recent performance has been exceptional, with four multi-hit games since the beginning of LA's series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Betts' resurgence is similar to his performance during the 2025 season, when he struggled during the first few months due to a mysterious illness but managed to bounce back and finish the season with a .784 OPS.
With Betts' momentum carrying over to the postseason, the Dodgers, currently holding the third seed in the National League, could face a challenging Wild Card round, but with Betts at the helm, finding their stride should pose little obstacle for the reigning World Series Champions.
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