Mookie Betts is in his second season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and his stint with the organization isn’t even close to over.
The superstar signed a 12-year deal worth $365 million with L.A., and he may very well spend the rest of his career wearing Dodger Blue.
Betts has already led the Dodgers to one World Series title.
This season, he’s looking to help the team win another.
By almost every measure, the 29-year-old’s time with L.A. has been a smashing success so far, and he has been worth every penny of the massive contract the Dodgers signed him to.
That has become increasingly apparent throughout the 2021 postseason.
Betts Is Making His Presence Felt In The 2021 Playoffs
Betts has a lot of playoff experience, and that’s shining through this year.
The five-time All-Star has delivered for L.A. in some massive spots in the 2021 postseason, and there’s no telling if the Dodgers would still be alive without him.
Overall, he’s slashing .412/.475/.529 in these playoffs.
He has homered once, doubled once, and driven in five runs.
MOOKIE SAID, "YOU AIN'T ROBBIN' ME TONIGHT!!"
MOOKIE LIVIN' HIS BETTS LIFE!! #Dodgers
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) October 13, 2021
He’s getting better as the playoffs continue, too.
Over his last five games, he’s somehow batting .500 with a 1.287 OPS.
The Dodgers are currently in a hole in the NLCS, but if there’s one guy who’s capable of pulling the team out of it, it’s Betts.
In fact, he’s one of the biggest reasons L.A. is on the board in this series.
He drove in the go-ahead (and eventual game-winning) run in Game 3 on Tuesday night.
Mookie. Freakin. Betts. pic.twitter.com/5C7LD7uH1A
— Pantone 294 (@Pantone294) October 20, 2021
The Dodgers easily could have lost that game and fallen behind 3-0 in the NLCS without Betts’ clutch hit.
Despite Plenty Of Outside Noise, Betts Put Together A Great 2021 Regular Season
Now that the regular season is behind us, it’s a good time to look at what Betts accomplished prior to the playoffs.
The former MVP heard plenty of noise from critics after he started the 2021 regular season slow, but it didn’t take him long to turn things around.
From May 31 onward, he slashed .275/.372/.591 with 18 homers, 14 doubles, and two triples over 79 games.
At one point during the summer, he went on an unstoppable tear, batting .458 with a ridiculous 1.488 OPS over a 12-game span.
He launched seven homers and four doubles during that stretch.
When all was said and done, he finished the regular season with some great numbers: a .264/.367/.487 slash line, 128 OPS+, 23 homers, 29 doubles, three triples, and a WAR of 4.2.
Was it his best season?
No, but that says a LOT.
If Betts’ 2021 regular season is considered an average year for him, then that just speaks volumes about the type of expectations we have for him.
What’s Next?
Betts will likely post some elite numbers for the Dodgers for years to come, but his focus right now is on the 2021 playoffs.
As mentioned earlier, Betts has been worth every bit of his massive contract.
That’s due in large part to the fact that the Dodgers are threatening to win their second straight World Series title with him.
If Betts wants to establish himself as a legend in L.A., he’s only seven playoff wins away from getting there.
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