Things just haven’t gone Mookie Betts’ way this season.
The eight-time All-Star and former MVP is having a career-low year, slashing just .244/.314/.370. At one point, Betts went 0-for-22, marking one of the worst slumps of his career.
That stretch hasn’t helped the struggling Dodgers, who have fallen out of first place in the NL West after being swept by the crosstown Angels and losing four of their last five games.
Betts has shown some signs of life in August, slashing .280/.321/.380. That turnaround, according to Forbes’ D.J. Siddiqi, came after Betts reached out to former Boston Red Sox teammate and friend J.D. Martinez for advice.
“It really took me giving myself grace, being patient with myself, letting myself fail, in order for me to get to the right answer,” Betts said. “Letting myself make the right or wrong answer over and over and over again. I went through a time where I was frustrated, getting frustrated with myself, and beating myself up. JD actually came in and kind of helped me, just helped me with grace and patience. That’s what has kind of gotten me out of it.”
Since leaning on Martinez’s guidance, Betts is on an eight-game hitting streak, going 12-for-30 with eight runs, two doubles, two walks, one home run, five RBIs, and just three strikeouts.
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If nothing else, Betts has turned his down year into an opportunity to learn more about himself and how to handle adversity.
“I will never forget the rest of my life these last four or five months, however long it’s been,” Betts said. “I can really kind of apply it to life. It really taught me about life and going through the ups and downs, and really just kind of how to mentally handle whatever comes my way.”
If the Dodgers want to regain control of the division and chase their fourth straight NL West title, they’ll need Betts to continue — or even improve upon — his recent surge as they try to overtake the Padres.