The Los Angeles Dodgers have essentially won the National League West title as they hold a commanding 12.5-game lead in the division standings over the Arizona Diamondbacks. FanGraphs and Baseball Prospectus both have the Dodgers’ odds of reaching the postseason at 100%, and it obviously doesn’t get better than that. Baseball-Reference is a tiny bit less bullish on the Dodgers’ playoff hopes, giving them a 99.9% chance.
Knowing that they will be playing in October for a 14th consecutive season, what can motivate the Dodgers over their final 64 games of the regular season? They won the unofficial second half opener over the Yankees 2-1 on Friday night in New York.
That question was posed to Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts. He had to pause for a moment to think of an answer.
“I think that you have to just figure out how to keep playing,” the eight-time All-Star told FanSided. “It's different for different people. Some people play for stats. Some people play just to win the game. Some people may relax, and some might not. It really just depends on who you are. But for us, we don't really care about the lead or any of that. We just want to continue playing well because we're not overly concerned with the lead or whatever else. We’re just concerned with playing that day’s game.”
Betts spoke with FanSided in conjunction with the unveiling of the Corona Beach Connect Series.
Dodgers have the best record in MLB
Dodgers seem likely to be playing in the World Series. They have the best record in the major leagues at 62-36, despite hitting some bumps during the first half.
Two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell has made only one start this season and had surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow on May 19. Joining Snell on the injured list are right-hander Tyler Glasnow, who has been limited to seven starts this year because of lower back spasms, and closer Edwin Diaz, who has been out since April 20 after also having bone chips removed from his elbow
Yet the Dodgers easily have the biggest lead of any first-team in MLB. The next largest is the Milwaukee Brewers’ six-game advantage in the NL Central.
“I think we’ve played well for the most part, but I also think we can play better,” Betts said. “I don’t think we’ve played our best baseball yet.”
Which is kind of scary to think about for a team already on pace for 102 wins.
Mookie Betts not feeling three-peat pressure
The Dodgers are attempting to become the first team to win three consecutive World Series since the Yankees from 1998-2000. No NL team has ever three-peated, and the Dodgers are the first team to win back-to-back Fall Classics since those Yankees.
The Dodgers, as evidenced by their record, seem impervious to any extra expectations that come from trying to win three titles in a row.
“There’s probably more pressure, but pressure is something we embrace, and not every team gets a chance to receive this type of pressure,” Betts said. “We don’t especially care if there’s pressure because we’ve already been through so much while winning the last two years.”
The 32-year-old Betts figures to be a big part of the Dodgers’ charge toward another championship, though the eight-time All-Star is having a down year offensively by his standards, hitting .232/.293/.411 with 11 home runs and 31 RBIs in 61 games.
Betts’ defense has been stellar, with seven defensive runs saved after being a Gold Glove finalist last season. The glovework has been remarkable when put into the context that Betts made the unusual position switch from right field to shortstop in 2024.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Betts said of playing shortstop. “Very stressful, though. Stressful, but it's good. I feel like it keeps me young. It keeps me moving, keeps me athletic. Being an outfielder, there's only a certain amount of athleticism you can really show, especially playing right field. So, it’s been fun to showcase myself a little bit and show all the things I can do.
“The biggest thing is winning, and I’ll gladly play shortstop or anywhere if it makes us a winning team.”
Mookie Betts spoke with FanSided in conjunction with the unveiling of the Corona Beach Connect Series, a limited-edition lifestyle jersey collection that blends game gear and beachwear through custom designs co-created with the brand’s All-Star lineup of players that also includes Ronald Acuña Jr., Jazz Chisholm Jr., Pete Crow-Armstrong, Jeremy Peña and Cristopher Sánchez. Each jersey is inspired by the player’s warmest beach memories.
Fans can enter the Corona Beach Connect Sweepstakes through Aug, 26 at CoronaUSA.com for the chance to win a limited-edition jersey. Two grand prize winners will also receive a trip for two to a sponsor-specified game of the 2026 World Series.
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