Mookie Betts Taking New Mindset To ‘Focus On The Moment’

The 2025 season has been a rough one for Mookie Betts, who is having the worst year of his future Hall of Fame career as he’s fallen well short of providing the Los Angeles Dodgers with the elite production expected from him.

Betts enters play Saturday hitting just .239/.309/.371 with 12 home runs, 51 RBI, 68 runs, eight stolen bases, a 90 wRC+ and 1.4 WAR over 106 games.

But in his last three games, Betts has started to put things together with six hits in 16 at-bats (.375) and three extra-base hits.

“A lot more confident now,” Betts said. “Like I said, we’ll see how tomorrow goes. I enjoyed today, but I’ve got to turn the page.”

That included a go-ahead home run against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday, which was his first homer since July 5, more than one month ago.

“Looked good, felt good,” Betts said of his swing. “It was a pitch out over the plate, so I had to put a good swing on it. I did, and fortunately it went over.”

Betts said the three games don’t remove the burden of how his season has gone, but he has taken a new mindset in recent days which he plans to use until he retires.

“I mean, season’s over,” Betts said. “My season is kind of over, so I chalk that up to not a great season, but I can help the boys win every night. Get an RBI, make a play, do something.

“I had to shift my focus there. Obviously, everyone wants to have great seasons, but it’s a lot easier when you don’t worry about the season and just worry game to game. I think I’ll take this perspective the rest of my career. …

“It’s something new for me to focus on the moment, really stay in the moment. Like I said, it’s something I’ll use for the rest of my career.”

Mookie Betts received help from J.D. Martinez

With Betts currently in the worst stretch of his decorated career, he recently met with J.D. Martinez in search of hitting help.

Martinez has been lauded as a hitting maven throughout his career, and that reputation was felt during a brief Dodgers tenure.

In August 2023, Betts credited Martinez for his success at the plate to that point in the season. The two developed a close friendship from their time together with the Boston Red Sox.