NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Los Angeles Dodgers eight-time All-Star Mookie Betts was recently candid about his struggles this season, saying that he feels his “season’s over.”
“My season’s kind of over,” he told The Athletic this past weekend. “We’re going to have to chalk that up for not a great season. But I can go out and help the boys win every night, do something, get an RBI, make a play, do something that — I’m going to have to shift my focus there.”
A production drought, especially for a player of Betts’ caliber, can be tough on the psyche. However, what’s helped his mindset has been the support from not just in the clubhouse, but those at Dodger Stadium and beyond.
In fact, Dodgers fans recently orchestrated an ovation for Betts to show their appreciation and support.
“I’ve never gotten an ovation from being bad,” Betts told Fox News Digital, while also discussing how his mindset is helped through Corona’s new “Playa Sounds,” a first-of-its-kind soundtrack that fuses the iconic sounds of the ballpark and beach. “I’ve seen it, but never in a million years I thought I’d be the one to get one. But I was.
DODGERS STAR MOOKIE BETTS SUSTAINS FREAK TOE INJURY WHILE WALKING TO BATHROOM
“It’s good knowing that even though I’m going through what I’m going through, I’m still embraced. It’d be very easy for them to just write me off and say, ‘He’s done, he’s washed – x, y and z.’ It would feel horrible. That would probably be really bad, probably wouldn’t be great for the mental.”
Betts enters Wednesday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Angels hitting .242/.313/.370 with a .682 OPS, 12 home runs and 53 RBI over 120 games. All of these marks are easily the worst of his career, to the point where he even acknowledged a potential stain on his Hall of Fame resume.
However, while the 2018 AL MVP has been fighting the tribulations of the 2025 season, the support of a tight-knit Dodgers clubhouse has helped tremendously.
“I think that’s probably the most important outside of yourself,” he said when asked about his teammates and coaching staff being behind him. “Just knowing that no matter what you do, good or bad, your boys got you. They’re the ones who are with you literally every day. You’re with these guys more than you’re with your family. You’re with these guys for eight months essentially. They know everything about you – more about you than really your family does. Knowing that they always got you, and they’re fighting with you is just a beautiful thing.
“It’s just huge to have veterans who have kinda been through it, maybe not to the same extent I’m going through it – or maybe worse. To know that their perspective helps you, their support helps you, and no matter what, they’re going to be there for you. That definitely helped move me along.”
Betts has been moving along well recently, owning a seven-game hit streak during his 12-for-30 (.400) stretch at the plate during that span. He had two doubles in that stretch, and more importantly, he launched his first homer in over a month on Aug. 8 against the Toronto Blue Jays.
As Betts put it, “You don’t want to turn on a mindset and then be in a different headspace than you’ve been playing for six, seven months.” However, the intensity is only going up as the Dodgers are in a tight NL West race with the San Diego Padres tied atop the division entering play on Wednesday. As defending World Series champions, the Dodgers obviously want to defend the title entering October.
It’s uncharted territory for Betts, but knowing he has the team and city of Los Angeles behind him is, perhaps, helping him turn the corner at just the right time with the postseason coming into view.
ENTERING FLOW STATE WITH CORONA
As Betts works his way forward, having a tranquil, yet intense, mindset is key, especially when the postseason comes around.
Betts helped Corona, the official “cerveza” of MLB, to create “Playa Sounds,” selecting specific moments from the postseason to pair with calming beach sounds that helps him enter that “flow state.”
“I was able to pick some moments from big swings, big hits, big catches in the postseason, and then you match them with the beach sounds. Those waves crashing, it just puts you right in the middle where you’re ready for anything intense, but you’re also relaxed in order to be able to do whatever it is,” Betts explained. “Because you don’t want to be too intense when you go into these intense moments – you don’t want to fight fire with fire. So, I really feel like those sounds put you right in between.
“It really has helped and puts me in a good mindset.”
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Read the full article here
