by Mark Langill
Already blessed with Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman, Dodger manager Dave Roberts didn’t need another MVP in the top third of his lineup in the final months of the 2025 regular season.
He just needed a familiar face to reappear.
The old Mookie.
The playoff Mookie.
The relaxed Mookie.
After his team swept the Cincinnati Reds in the best-of-five National League Wild Card Series on Wednesday night with an 8–4 victory at Dodger Stadium, shortstop Mookie Betts looks to finish what he described as “arguably one of the worst years of my career” with another World Series title.
He tied his career postseason high with four hits in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series. His three doubles matched the franchise postseason record set by Brooklyn’s Jim Gilliam in Game 4 of the 1953 World Series.
Overall, Betts went 6-for-9 against Cincinnati with a run scored, three doubles, three RBI and a walk.
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Beyond the numbers, his broad smiles and celebratory gestures while standing on a base during the brief series reflect a collective exhale by Betts and the Dodgers after a September often filled with drama and heartache and lingering questions.
The reigning champs, who didn’t qualify for a first-round bye while securing their 13th consecutive postseason appearance, were the only team to sweep this week among the four Wild Card Series.
“Better late than never,” said Betts, who slashed .258/.326/.406/.732 in 150 regular season games with 20 home runs and 82 RBI. “I’m just happy that I can help the boys win, I can contribute.”
At age 32, Betts aims for his fourth World Series ring, having previously won with the 2018 Boston Red Sox, and with the Dodgers in 2020 and 2024.
The extensive jewelry collection also brings perspective and patience as there are 11 remaining rungs on a championship ladder.
Asked to compare the current Dodgers with the 2024 squad, Betts simply points to different roster compositions, strengths and “vibes.” The starting rotation in 2025 now includes Ohtani, who opens the Division Series against the Phillies in Philadelphia on Saturday.
The goal, though, remains the same.
“Obviously, I know we can win the whole thing,” he said. “We just have to play good baseball. We’ve got to continue to pitch, timely hitting and play defense and everything should be OK.”
Betts’ struggles in 2025 began after Spring Training at the plate. An undiagnosed stomach ailment led to vomiting and difficulty eating. The estimated weight loss of 20 pounds to his normal 5-foot-10, 180-pound frame led to a chain reaction of bad habits and mechanics at the other plate.
In July, Betts batted .205 in 21 games.
“But I think it made me mentally tough,” Betts said. “So now there’s just a different level of focus. And not really on myself; it’s more on winning the game.”
Roberts said the turning point occurred when Betts stopped chasing the past versions of himself, which included American League MVP honors with the Red Sox in 2018.
That banner campaign occurred when Betts was a Gold Glove winning right fielder patrolling Boston’s Fenway Park. He has since reinvented himself in Los Angeles as a shortstop, a position he was willing to learn to help the team.
When the Dodgers needed Betts in September, he responded with a slash line of .299/342/.557/.899.
“I think it started when he gave up having a career year,” Roberts said of Betts’ turnaround. “I think he was resolved to just let that go and play for us in the future and help the team win. And I think that took a lot of pressure off him. Everything kind of unveiled and freed himself up. He’s playing great baseball.”
Betts also awaits the next round of cat-and-mouse games of Philadelphia pitchers deciding whether to intentionally walk Ohtani, who hit a franchise-record 55 home runs during the regular season and a pair of home runs in the Dodgers’ 10–5 victory over Cincinnati on Tuesday.
Standing in the on-deck circle, Betts doesn’t view an intentional walk to Ohtani as a personal challenge. It’s simple strategy.
“I wouldn’t let Shohei swing either,” he said. “I understand. I expect the Phillies to do the same thing. I expect it for the rest of the postseason for it to happen. I know, I understand Shohei. I understand the situation of the game. So I just gotta be ready to do my thing.”
2025 Wild Card: Betts back in postseason groove was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.