The Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts took some positives away from his strong performance despite a loss against the Philadelphia Phillies Monday.
The Dodgers fell to the Phillies, 10-7, on Monday, but Betts tallied four hits with two homers and three RBIs. Monday’s game marked the second time this season Betts recorded a multi-homer game, the first coming against the Colorado Rockies at home.
Betts—similarly to last season—hasn’t been his best, but believes he took a step in the right direction with his performance in the series opener.
“I’ve been here before, so it’s not necessarily uncharted territory. But I’d like to not continue to be here,” Betts said. “It’s been a couple years now, and I don’t believe this is who I am. I feel like tonight lets me know I still can do something.”
Betts missed some time this season with an oblique strain, which he suffered in just the third series of the season against the Washington Nationals, and has played 64 games for the Dodgers so far. He has 13 homers on the season, driving in 34 runs while posting a .731 OPS.
He is slugging far better than he did last season, but his career-low batting average and on-base percentage have his OPS lower than it was at the end of the season in 2025.
Has Mookie Betts Played Up to His Standard At All This Season?
Betts may have slumped to begin July, but his performances throughout the month of June are the only reason why his OPS+ hasn’t dropped below league average.
Throughout June, Betts recorded 31 hits in 107 at-bats, scoring 17 runs with five home runs and 12 RBIs. He had a .290/.339/.477 slash line for a .816 OPS, which is his second-best in a full month of regular season baseball over the past two seasons—the best being his .900 OPS showing last September.
If Betts can find a way to maintain the form he found in Monday’s game and replicate his results for the remainder of the season, the Dodgers will find themselves in an even better position than they are now. Betts’ next opportunity to impress comes in Tuesday’s game, where he will bat fifth as the Dodgers look for revenge on the Phillies.
Do you think Mookie Betts can turn things around this season?
