Mookie Betts is coming off a down season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but all signs point to the four-time World Series champion having a bounce-back year.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently went on the record of saying Betts would be in the MVP conversation this year, while the eight-time All-Star said he is in a good spot heading into the 2026 season.
The optimism stems from Betts being encouraged by the changes he made to his swing during the offseason.
“I mean, just going back to the basics,” Betts said after making his Cactus League debut on Sunday. “Man, I know it sounds real cliche or whatever, but you’re just going back to the basics and building it back up.
“I mean, we’ll see how it goes. I haven’t done it in a while, so today was the first day. But like I said, we’ll see how it goes.”
Betts noted that he zeroed in on doing the things he excels at rather than completely changing his swing mechanics.
“I mean, it’s just really going back to what I do best and really just honing in on it,” Betts explained. “Instead of trying to fix problems, I was more able to just hone in on what I do best, and kind of groove those patterns, instead of trying to fix old habits.”
Betts hit just .258/.326/.406 with 23 doubles, 20 home runs and 82 RBI in 150 games last season. He wasn’t much of a factor in the first half but started to turn things around after the All-Star break, only to struggle again during the playoffs.
Betts was critical of himself and at one point said his season couldn’t be saved. Rather than accept his substandard results, the 33-year-old took initiative to get ahead of his issues so he could have a fresh slate in 2026.
“No, never. Never had a bad year,” Betts began. “So there’s a first for everything. Sometimes you like it, sometimes you don’t, but the most important thing is I feel like I embraced it and I was able to attack it instead of trying to run from it.”
Mookie Betts enjoyed rebuilding swing
Betts said he enjoyed the process of rebuilding his swing because it gave him some clarity on what he was doing wrong, and a sense of optimism that he can turn things around this season.
“Yeah, I actually did, because I learned a lot about myself,” Betts said. “I learned a lot about how I operate. I was able to get in the right headspace, being in, then sustaining the right headspace.
“And then once I was able to get in the right headspace and be able to stay there, I haven’t been searching, I haven’t been doing anything, because I’ve been here outside of just working and preparing.
“And even today, I know I’ve had an oh-for-two, but I feel I got two good swings. I was prepared, ready to go. So I can’t ask for that for more than what I’ve been doing.”
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