Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts thanked fans for their support as he battled a hitting slump and injuries again this year.
After the Dodgers clinched the National League West on Thursday, September 17th, Betts reflected on his regular season thus far, which has featured a bumpy ride.
“Thank you for sticking with me. I know it was hard. I make it hard sometimes, but thank you for sticking by my side. By our side. We’ve got something special coming,” Betts said as champagne poured on his face.
This season, Betts battled an oblique injury that sidelined him for about a month, and he started the season poorly at the plate.
In the first month of late March and April, Betts had a 95 wRC+ and a .710 OPS. Then, things got worse until May, with a 75 wRC+ and a .650 OPS.
Things picked up in June, with a 122 wRC+, but July and the first half of August were rough again.
Now, Betts is helping to give the team a last-minute spark.
Mookie Betts’ recent turnaround
Betts has really turned it on offensively over the last month, hitting .280/.366/.466 with five home runs and 23 RBIs.
Along with his standout defense at such a highly valuable position at shortstop, Betts has not been a superstar this year, but instead has been a very good player.
He has a 2.8 fWAR, with a 1.4 offensive rating and a 10.5 defensive rating, both above average, per FanGraphs.
More than the results, he is hitting the ball hard and commanding the strike zone well.
The arrow is pointing up for Mookie Betts at the right time.
One Response
Mookie Betts had harsh words for fans not long ago. His recent surge is smokescreen fans shouldn’t fall for. The Dodgers’ last nine games should be a greater test of Betts’ mettle, and will prove whether or not this streak was purely incidental. Six inter-division games against the San Francisco Giants and three against the San Diego Padres are surely going to give the Dodgers more grief, as games against those teams often do, and may expose this recent surge as being nothing more than a flash in the pan.