Dodgers Star Mookie Betts Admits It’s Impossible to Not Think About Postseason Slump
Mookie Betts in the playoffs has been almost nonexistent at the plate over the past few years and it’s hard for the Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder to ignore his current slump which dates back to 2022.
His last postseason hit was a leadoff single in Game 3 of the 2022 NLDS against the Padres, followed by 22 hitless at-bats.
In the Dodgers’ Game 1 win, he drew three walks, including one intentional, but remains hitless in six at-bats during this series.
Forgetting about it is “pretty impossible,” Betts said.
“Especially – you guys are doing your jobs but you’re asking me about it. So there’s no way to get away from it,” Betts said after Monday’s workout. “The whole world knows. It’s not like it’s a secret. I know. Nobody’s telling me anything I don’t know already. Nobody can be any harder on myself. Only thing I can really do is look forward but I know it’s there.
“I’m a human. I’m living it. Nobody’s telling me anything I haven’t already seen and know. I’m trying, man. That’s all I can say.”
Even though he has gone hitless, one of his at-bats cleared the fence. However, Padres left fielder Jurickson Profar went into the stands to rob him of a home run.
Betts didn’t see it as a positive because an out was recorded.
“It’s an out. It doesn’t matter if it’s a flyout, a ground out, or a strikeout. It’s an out. It’s all the same,” Betts said Monday.
Manager Dave Roberts told Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register that he was going to have a conversation with Betts before Game 3.
“I can see the – I don’t know if it’s angst or the pressure of past performances starting to kind of bleed in. That’s something that I don’t want to happen. I understand it,” Roberts said.
“I’ll have a little conversation with him. The fact is you can’t change the last ‘X’ amount of postseason games. I understand the burden a player might have. But all anyone is concerned about is right now and how to best prepare yourself mentally for tomorrow night and the first at-bat. So that’s going to be basically my message.”
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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