Mookie Betts is playing like he’s got a personal vendetta against every pitcher in Major League Baseball, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are reaping the rewards. In Saturday’s rain-soaked 10-6 slugfest against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park, the Dodgers’ leadoff dynamo was at it again, reaching base three times and ripping a run-scoring double in the fourth to keep his hitting and RBI streaks alive at six games each. With a .324/.421/.568 slash line and a 1.135 OPS over his last 15 games, Betts is reminding everyone why he’s not just a superstar but one of the game’s most complete players. Let’s break down how Mookie’s magic is fueling L.A.’s scorching start, why his mindset shift is unlocking new heights, and what this means for a Dodgers team that’s looking every bit like a World Series juggernaut.
Saturday’s game was a Mookie masterclass. Facing a Braves pitching staff that’s no slouch, Betts went 2-for-4 with a walk, a double, and an RBI, setting the tone for a Dodgers lineup that overwhelmed Atlanta. His fourth-inning double—a laser to left off Charlie Morton—plated Tommy Edman and pushed L.A.’s lead to 4-1, the kind of clutch hit that’s become his calling card. The top of the order was unstoppable, with Betts, Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernández, Freddie Freeman, and Max Muncy combining for 14 times on base, all 12 of the team’s hits, and every one of the 10 runs scored. Betts, as the table-setter, was the spark, either crossing the plate or driving in runs in each of his last six games. That RBI streak matches his longest since joining the Dodgers in 2020, and he’s now just one game shy of his career-best seven-game stretch from his Red Sox days in 2016. For perspective, only Ohtani’s franchise-record 10-game RBI streak in 2024 stands above him in Dodgers lore.
What’s got Betts locked in? He’s playing free, and it shows. “I put too much pressure on myself,” he told Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal postgame. “I really just need to trust my preparation and have fun during games.” That’s not just talk—Mookie’s approach at the plate looks looser, more confident. His 11.9% walk rate this season is a career high, and he’s cut his strikeout rate to 14.3%, down from 16.7% last year. Statcast loves him, too: his 94.8 mph average exit velocity and 58.3% hard-hit rate rank in the 94th and 97th percentiles, and his expected batting average (.294) suggests he’s not just getting lucky. Whether he’s lacing doubles to the gap (six in his last 10 games) or legging out infield singles, Betts is a nightmare for pitchers. Fans on X are losing it, with one calling him “the best leadoff hitter since Rickey Henderson” and another joking, “Mookie’s bat is hotter than a SoCal summer.”
This isn’t new for Betts, but it’s a reminder of his greatness. The 32-year-old, now in his sixth season with L.A., has a resume that screams Hall of Fame: 2018 AL MVP, two World Series rings (2018 with Boston, 2020 with the Dodgers), seven All-Star nods, and six Gold Gloves. His 2024 season was a banger—third in NL MVP voting, 19 homers, 75 RBIs, and a .868 OPS despite a broken hand that cost him 45 games. In 2025, he’s taken it up a notch. Through May 5, Betts is slashing .302/.405/.495 with three homers, 20 RBIs, and 22 runs in 136 plate appearances, leading the Dodgers in WAR (2.1) and runs scored. His three steals, including a swipe of second against Atlanta, show he’s still got the wheels that made him a base-stealing champ (30 in 2018). And don’t sleep on his glove—his move back to shortstop this year, after stints in right and second, has been seamless, with five Defensive Runs Saved and a .981 fielding percentage.
The Dodgers’ lineup is a murderer’s row, and Betts is the catalyst. Ohtani, hitting .340 with six homers, is a force behind him, but Mookie’s on-base prowess (.405 OBP) gives Shohei pitches to hit. Hernández (.290, seven HRs) and Freeman (.315, 18 RBIs) feast when Betts gets on, and Muncy’s 14 walks add patience to the mix. Saturday’s outburst—10 runs on 12 hits, including three doubles and a Muncy homer—was a glimpse of what this group can do when it’s clicking. The Dodgers’ 22-14 record has them atop the NL West, and their plus-52 run differential trails only the Yankees. But it’s Betts who sets the vibe. Manager Dave Roberts calls him “the heartbeat of our club,” and you see it in moments like his fist-pump after that fourth-inning double or his diving stop at short to rob Marcell Ozuna in the sixth.
The Braves game wasn’t perfect—L.A.’s bullpen coughed up a 7-2 lead, forcing Roberts to lean on Daniel Hudson to close it out—but Betts’ performance kept them in control. His ability to produce in big spots is why he’s chasing Ohtani’s RBI record. If he plates a run in Sunday’s series finale, he’ll match his career high and keep the pressure on pitchers. Atlanta’s Spencer Strider, who’s set to face L.A. next, knows the deal: “Mookie’s a problem,” he said pre-series. “You can’t pitch around him with Ohtani and Freeman behind him.” That’s the beauty of this lineup—Betts doesn’t have to carry the load, but his spark makes everyone better.
For Dodgers fans, this is Mookie at his peak, playing with the joy of a kid in a sandlot and the precision of a surgeon. His six-game hitting streak (.429, 9-for-21) and RBI run are the kind of stretches that win MVPs, and with 126 games left, there’s no telling how high he can climb. The naysayers who wondered if his hand injury would linger or his shortstop switch would flop are quiet now. Posts on X sum up the mood: “Mookie’s making a case for another MVP,” one fan wrote, while another said, “He’s doing everything but selling popcorn in the stands.” If Betts keeps this up, the Dodgers aren’t just a playoff lock—they’re a threat to steamroll October. For now, L.A.’s riding the Mookie wave, and it’s one hell of a ride. Keep swinging, Mookie—the baseball world’s watching, and you’re putting on a show.
