Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts knows it’s a lost cause.
No matter what he has done, this season hasn’t gotten better.
Betts isn’t giving up, of course. He’s one of the best players and people in Major League Baseball.
But he’s realistic. He knows that, no matter what, this season won’t turn itself around.
“This season’s over,” Betts told The Athletic. “My season’s kind of over. We’re going to have to chalk that up for not a great season.”
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Betts has heated up a bit of late, but he’s still at career worsts in average (.239), OBP (.309), slugging (.371) and OPS (.680), all by pretty wide margins.
The Dodgers have won in spite of those struggles, though, and Betts wants to be part of what happens the rest of the way for the defending World Series champions.
“I can go out and help the boys win every night, do something, get an RBI, make a play, do something that — I’m going to have to shift my focus there,” Betts said. “Obviously everyone wants to have great seasons, but it’s a lot easier when you just don’t worry about the season. You just worry about game to game. I’ll take this perspective for the rest of my career.”
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It sounds like this humbling campaign has shifted Betts’ baseball mindset.
And he is 6 for his last 12, including a home run on Friday night in a 5-1 win over Toronto.
The end-of-season numbers won’t look like Betts’ usual standard.
But if the Dodgers keep winning, and Betts keep playing a part, he will have done his job.
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