Dodgers News: Mookie Betts Wants to Prove He Can Compete ‘Through the Season and Playoffs’

The 2024 season is shaping up to be a pretty important one for Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts.

After enjoying one of the best regular seasons of his 10-year career in 2023, he disappeared in the postseason for the second straight year.

Betts went 0-for-11 in the 2023 NLDS loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, one year after he went 2-for-14 in the 2022 NLDS loss against the San Diego Padres.

Betts took a lot of heat on social media after his consecutive poor playoff performances, but no one understands more than Betts that he needs to be better when it matters most.

In a recent interview with SportsNet LA, Betts spoke about his goals for the 2024 season — and he’s already thinking ahead to October.

“Just to be the best Mookie Betts I can be,” Betts said. “To go and show that I’m still good. That I can compete through the season and through playoffs. I know I didn’t do well, obviously, last playoffs and so I want to get back to where I can compete when it’s crunch time. Prove to everyone and also prove to myself that I can do it. And I believe in myself and that’s really it.”

This is an extremely candid answer from Betts, which Dodger fans have to appreciate. He knows he needs to be better in October if this team wants to reach their ultimate goal of a World Series, and he’s going to focus on making that a reality this year.

Fortunately, Betts won’t have all the pressure on him next season.

With the additions of Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernández to the Dodgers’ lineup, as well as the return of Gavin Lux, L.A. will have one of the most loaded lineups in the team’s history.

Betts will almost certainly bat leadoff again in 2024, so it’ll be his job to set the tone each and every night for the star-studded lineup behind him.

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