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Dodgers SS Mookie Betts (R)

There are plenty of reasons to explain why, exactly, the Dodgers have not quite lived up to their own expectations coming into this World Series champion-defending season, but one of the most puzzling also happens to be one of the most frustrating–the bizarre downturn of star slugger Mookie Betts.

Betts’ 2025 has been highlighted–or, rather, lowlighted–by a mysterious stomach illness that caused dramatic weight loss for the already-slender shortstop, and has seemed to sap his normally electric style of play.

Just 13 days ago, Betts was batting .231, an odd scenario for a player with a career average of .290. His OPS was .657–his previous low for a full season was .820, when he was in his second year in the big leagues.

But lately, Betts has begun to come around at the plate. And on Sunday, in one of the biggest games of the year, he came through with the hit of a year, a game-winning home run to lift the Dodgers to a 5-4 win and sweep of the NL West challengers, the Padres.

Dodgers Complete Sweep

Betts was 1-for-3 on the day with a walk, and was batting in his usual No. 2 hole for L.A. The Dodgers got out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, but Tyler Glasnow and the bullpen allowed San Diego to fight back into the game, as they tried to fend off a sweep and keep the West tied.

It was 4-4 when Betts led off the bottom of the eighth with a line-drive home run of 394 feet, off All-Star closer Robert Suarez, who leads MLB with 33 saves. Suarez had given up just two homers all season coming into the game, and had a 1.15 ERA in his last 15 games before Sunday.

Alex Vesia picked up the win as he got the final five outs with just 20 pitches.

Mookie Betts at .341 in Last 11 Games

For Betts, the home run is a good measuring stick at the stretch run of a season in which little has gone right for him. Since he bottomed out at .231, though, Betts is hitting .341 with two homers and nine RBIs in 11 games.

But there’s no substitute for the satisfaction of a dramatic game-winning homer. Betts was directly responsible for this win.

“It’s been a long time,” Betts said, via the LA Times.

“Finally, I did something good for the boys that’s with the bat. I feel like I’ve done a decent job with the glove. But the bat, I haven’t really been able to help much. So just good to help with that.”

Dodgers Star Gets Philoshopical

Betts has been philosophical lately about his predicament, and in a way it may be helping him. Rather than feeling like he needs to rescue his stat line across the board before the year is up, Betts is accepting that his numbers in 2025 will be whatever they are.

“My season’s kind of over,” Betts said last week. “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. Obviously, everyone wants to have great seasons, but it’s a lot easier when you just don’t worry about the season.”

That mentality has helped him just focus on pulling the Dodgers through this stretch run and into the playoffs.

“Every at-bat is the same at this point. Just trying to do something productive,” Betts said. “It definitely helps to not carry burdens from previous at-bats.”

Sean Deveney is a veteran sports reporter covering the NBA, NFL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of experience covering the NBA, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of 7 nonfiction books, including “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley became Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.” More about Sean Deveney