It’s officially time to press the panic button on All-Star shortstop Mookie Betts, and Los Angeles Dodgers fans likely know it.
However, to their credit, those Dodgers fans are standing by the former NL MVP. The Dodgers Stadium crowd gave Betts a standing ovation before his first at-bat against the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night, much like what Philadelphia Phillies fans did for Trea Turner two summers ago.
At least for one night, the showing of love and support didn’t help. Betts went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in the Dodgers’ 3-2 loss, extending his hitless streak to 21 at-bats and dropping his average to .231.
Although Betts has 11 home runs and 48 RBIs, he also owns a career-worst .675 OPS over 453 plate appearances. His .355 slugging percentage is well below his .512 career average, and he’s on track for his lowest bWAR since becoming a full-time player in 2015.
How concerned should the Los Angeles Dodgers be about Mookie Betts?
Plenty of elite players have down seasons in their prime, and it’s easy to forget that Betts doesn’t turn 33 until October. Betts has been so good for so long that we’re hesitant to suggest that his best days are definitely behind him and that he runs the risk of becoming a major financial albatross for the heavy-spending Dodgers.
Aroldis Chapman freezes Mookie Betts to close out the game at Fenway Park 😤 pic.twitter.com/bYNmOPdbYg
— MLB (@MLB) July 27, 2025
However, that doesn’t mean we can’t be worried about how Betts will fare down the stretch — and, to be clear, we’re very concerned. Betts ended play on June 11 batting .269 with a .766 OPS following a 5-2 victory over the San Diego Padres. He’s managed a .174 average, two homers, and an abysmal .491 OPS since then, and the Dodgers are only 24-20 in that time.
“I’ve done everything possible,” Betts told reporters this past weekend. “It’s just kind of the same result. I’m out of answers. I’ve done everything I can do. It’s up to God at this point.”
Manager Dave Roberts went one step further, acknowledging that Betts looks “lost” at times. That’s a word that fans or pundits use in times like this. Rarely, if ever, do you hear a manager openly say that a player, much less a perennial MVP candidate, is “lost.”
However, the Dodgers should still hold out hope that Betts wakes up in time for the playoffs. Betts hit .290 with four homers, 16 RBIs, and a .951 OPS over 75 postseason plate appearances last fall, and the Dodgers reaped the benefits en route to their second title in five years.
All will be forgiven if Betts regains his MVP form, or at least some semblance of it, when October hits. Otherwise, it’ll be far more difficult to erase those rapidly increasing fears about the rest of Betts’ 12-year, $365 million contract.