The Los Angeles Dodgers had retained their lead in the National League West division after taking the series from their closest rival, the San Diego Padres, on Wednesday.
Though the pitching staff has been snakebit by injuries, the offense has remained elite all season. And that’s even as one of LA’s most dependable hitters, Mookie Betts, suffers a harsh season so far.
Betts’ campaign kicked off with a stomach bug that forced him to miss the season opener in Japan and ultimately caused him to lose a significant amount of weight. Since making his season debut, Betts has been working to master the shortstop position and suffered a fractured toe. It seems the ongoing tribulations have taken a toll on his offense.
Betts has slashed .269/.349/.417 in the first 242 at-bats so far for the Dodgers, marking significant dips compared to his career averages across the board.
Though there are clear external reasons for the slump, Betts acknowledged that some doubt about his ability to recapture his previous form has creeped in.
“Yeah, definitely there’s doubt,” Betts told Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register. “The game is moving and if you don’t keep moving with it you’ll get left behind. Look, man – I’ve never been the fastest on the field, I’ve never been the biggest on the field, I’ve never been the strongest on the field. I am literally average across the board in all facets of the game. I have to rely on a lot of things in my process to be perfect. That’s just the way it is.”
As Betts re-examines his mechanics in an attempt to put the slump behind him, there are signs he has perfected that process once again. He logged a .351 batting average and a .901 OPS in the first nine games since returning from his toe injury.
That sample size might be a bit too small to say whether Betts has returned to his All-Star level, but he knows there is only one thing he can really control even as doubts about his performance surface.
“I don’t have a superpower to fall back on,” he told Plunkett. “So I feel like mine is my process and my hard work. That’s really the only thing I can control.”
As the Dodgers look for a repeat World Series championship, they’ll be hoping their star player has found a process that will turn his season around.
