Steve Webb
Betts’s history suggests a big second half
LOS ANGELES — Mookie Betts’s name is on the All-Star ballot, but he would be the first to tell you that his season so far has been below his expectations for himself. He’s had some nice moments, to be sure, like the lead-off home run in Monday’s series opener against the Giants, but overall, it’s been a bit of a downer so far.
Average low, but OPS is respectable
His batting average of .253 is nearly fifty points below last year’s mark, and over a hundred points off his MVP year. However, because Mookie is a complete player, he has been able to paper over a lot of that low average with a lot of walks and some good pop in his bat. His OBP is .371 once all the walks are factored in and his slugging percentage is still a pretty decent .471. That adds up to an .842 OPS, which is fifth among National League outfielders who are on the All-Star ballot this season.
“Mookie Moments” in short supply
But of course, nobody buys a ticket to a Dodger game to watch Mookie Betts walk. And, there are been numerous opportunities for a “Mookie Moment” late in games when he’s turned over on a pitch and grounded out to the left side of the infield when a hit could have broken the game wide open. He is hitting only 1-for-7 with the bases loaded this year, often making the final out of the inning in these key situations. So Mookie hasn’t been bad. Far from it. We just know that he’s got potential to be so much more than what we’re getting this year.
Look to 2019
However, there are signs that good things might be on the horizon as the calendar turns to July. Mookie’s first half of 2021 is very similar to his first half of 2019. Coming off a deep playoff run, Mookie had a lot of trouble in the first few months of the season in getting things going at the plate in that year. Through the end of June 2019, Betts was only hitting .261 with roughly the same OBP and slugging percentage that he has this year. However, in the final three months of the 2019 season, Mookie found another gear. After hitting only .217 in June, Betts hit .373 in July, .287 in August, and .354 in September. In the final three months of the year, Mookie was able to raise his average over thirty points to finish the season at .295.
Signs of life…
Of course, that was then, and this is now. However, there are some signs that Betts might be finding his stride at the plate. He has hit four home runs in the last fifteen games, and his OPS in the last week is over 1.000. Of course, there have been some “Mookie’s back” moments before this season that haven’t panned out, so it’s too early to declare him actually “back”, but if we get a few more nights like Monday against the Giants, we’re getting close…
