Mookie Betts Puts Onus on Himself for Dodgers' Season: 'I Have to Show Up'
The start of the regular season is a little more than a month away for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The excitement is palpable — the fans, organization, and players can’t wait to get the ball rolling. Los Angeles will look to their soon-to-be five-year Dodger superstar, Mookie Betts, to set the tone.
Betts is the catalyst of this team, and although he might not be their best player anymore, he holds a strong presence on and off the field. The losses that comprised the 2023 postseason were a complete disaster. Betts is aware. He did not play to the level of his capabilities — nor was he alone in that regard.
As he told SportsNet LA, Betts recognizes the importance of October. The Dodgers’ revamped 2024 roster holds a ton of talent, but that can only take a team so far. He and his team must show up when it matters most.
“You got to go play, man. We’ve had some really good teams here and some guys in their prime here and we haven’t done it. No matter what team we roll out there, we got to go play. I got to go show up. I went 0 for 11 and we had a really good team last year. So if I don’t show up, it doesn’t matter. Not just me, but all of us. If we don’t show up, we’re going to lose. So we got to go play.”
— Mookie Betts via SportsNet LA
It was tough to watch the 2018 AL MVP struggle mightily in three games against the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 11 at-bats, the 31-year-old scored only one run, reached base once via a walk, and didn’t drive in a run. It was by far his worst three-game stretch in any postseason of his career.
Now with an even larger target on their collective backs, Betts is keeping himself and his teammates in check to ensure they are ready for October.
Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
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