He’s already got the rings. Four of them, actually. He’s got the MVP trophy sitting on a shelf somewhere, a pile of Gold Gloves, and more Silver Sluggers than most entire franchises have in their history. But honestly, as we head into the 2026 season, the conversation around Los Angeles Dodgers Mookie Betts feels different than it did three years ago. It’s more urgent. More complicated.
The Dodgers just pulled off the impossible: back-to-back World Series titles in 2024 and 2025. They are standing on the precipice of a three-peat, something baseball hasn't seen since the Yankees' dynasty at the turn of the millennium. Yet, if you look at the back of Mookie’s baseball card for 2025, you might do a double-take. A .258 batting average? An OPS that dipped to .732? For a guy who used to live in the .900 range, that's not just a slump. It’s a siren.
The Shortstop Experiment: Genius or Overload?
Dave Roberts confirmed it earlier this month: Mookie Betts is your starting shortstop for 2026. No more "moving parts" talk. No more bouncing back to right field just because it’s comfortable. The Dodgers are committed.
Last year, the transition was, frankly, a bit of a rollercoaster. Defensively? He was a revelation. He ended the year as a Gold Glove finalist at a position he hadn't played full-time since he was a teenager in the Red Sox system. It’s honestly absurd that a 33-year-old can just decide to become an elite defensive shortstop in the toughest league in the world.
But there’s a cost.
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Experts like Jon Heyman and various scouts have pointed out that the physical toll of playing the 6-spot might be "sapping his legs." Think about it. Instead of standing in right field waiting for a fly ball, he’s now involved in almost every play. He’s diving into the hole. He’s turning double plays. He’s constantly on the move. By the time he gets to the plate in the seventh inning, those legs aren't as fresh for that explosive swing we’re used to seeing.
Why the 2025 Stats are Deceptive
You can't talk about his 2025 offensive dip without mentioning the "stomach bug from hell." Right before Opening Day last year, Mookie lost roughly 20 to 25 pounds due to a severe illness. For a guy who is already built lean—listed at 180 pounds but probably playing closer to 170—that kind of weight loss is catastrophic for power.
- 2023 OPS: .987
- 2024 OPS: .863
- 2025 OPS: .732
The trend looks scary. But context matters. He was essentially playing a "shortstop boot camp" while his body was trying to recover from a massive physical setback. Despite the regular season struggles, he still showed up when the lights were brightest, hitting .290 with 16 RBIs across those 16 postseason games in 2025. That’s the Mookie the Dodgers need for the three-peat.
The Family Factor and the WBC
There was some drama—well, maybe "drama" is the wrong word, more like a firm boundary—regarding the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Mookie recently went on Adin Ross’s livestream and basically told the world he’s out for Team USA. Why? His wife, Brianna, is expecting their third child right in the middle of the tournament.
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He joked that she’d "divorce him" if he wasn't there. It’s a human moment. It also means he gets a full, uninterrupted spring training with the Dodgers. No traveling to Florida or Arizona for exhibition games with a different roster. Just him, Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani, and the task at hand.
What the "Three-Peat" Quest Means for His Legacy
The Dodgers are the center of the baseball universe right now. They became the first team to hit $1 billion in revenue in a single year. They’ve got the "Billion-Dollar Blueprint," as Boardroom calls it, and Mookie is the engine.
While Ohtani provides the spectacle and Freeman provides the consistency, Betts is the Swiss Army knife. If he can bounce back to even a .280 average with 25 homers while playing elite defense at shortstop, he isn't just a Hall of Famer—he’s arguably the greatest pound-for-pound player of his generation.
There are plenty of skeptics. Some fans on forums like Think Blue LA are calling for more youth in the outfield or wondering if the Dodgers should have pushed harder for someone like Kyle Tucker to take the pressure off Mookie. But the front office, led by Andrew Friedman, clearly believes that Mookie at shortstop is the most efficient way to build a roster. It allows them to keep the infield flexible and find power hitters for the corners.
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Actionable Insights for the 2026 Season
If you're following the Los Angeles Dodgers Mookie Betts saga this year, here is what you actually need to watch for. Don't just look at the home run totals. Watch the "little things" that signal whether he's back to 100%.
1. Watch the Weight and the Lower Half
During DodgerFest on January 31, pay attention to his frame. If he looks like he’s put back on that "good weight" he lost last spring, expect the power numbers to skyrocket back into the 30-homer range.
2. The "Six-Hole" Theory
There’s a lot of chatter about moving Mookie down in the lineup. If Will Smith or another hitter takes over the #2 spot behind Ohtani, don't view it as a demotion. It’s a strategy to keep Mookie's legs fresh and give him more RBI opportunities later in the game.
3. Defensive Efficiency
The best version of Mookie is the one who makes the "routine" plays look boring. If his error count stays low in the first two months of 2026, it means he’s mastered the internal clock of a shortstop, which reduces the mental fatigue that often bleeds into a player's hitting.
The reality is that we are watching a legendary career enter its most fascinating phase. Mookie is 33. He’s under contract until 2032. The "decline" narrative is hovering at the door, but he’s spent his whole life proving people wrong.
Keep an eye on the early April box scores. If he’s driving the ball into the gaps at Dodger Stadium like it’s 2023 again, the rest of the league is in serious trouble. The quest for a three-peat starts and ends with number 50.