Mookie Betts’ Miraculous Start to the 2025 Season

As Spring Training began to approach its conclusion in mid-March, the Los Angeles Dodgers prepared to open the 2025 season against the Chicago Cubs in Japan. After a long offseason, the baseball world was buzzing with excitement for the beginning of a new season.

However, before the first pitch of the series could be thrown, the Dodgers’ star shortstop Mookie Betts was on a plane headed home.

About a week earlier, Betts had been scratched from the lineup of a Spring Training game against the Arizona Diamondbacks due to a stomach virus. Regardless, he still hoped to make his regular season debut during the Tokyo Series.

Because of this, Betts initially traveled to Japan with the team. Unfortunately, his condition continued to deteriorate and he ultimately decided to head home for further testing and recovery.

While battling this mystery illness, Betts was unable to keep down any solid food he ate. By the time of the Dodgers’ home opener against the Detroit Tigers it was reported that Betts had lost around 20 pounds.

Typically listed at about 180 pounds, this was an incredibly significant loss. The extremity of the illness generated massive concern for Betts’ health from teammates and fans. Despite receiving extensive testing and meeting with various doctors and trainers, Betts was left frustrated and without clear-cut answers.

Fortunately, Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts provided fans with a spark of relief prior to their first home game of the season. He believed Betts would be ready to play.

All stats were taken before play on April 4th.

A Promising Return and an Exclamation Point

Questions still remained as to how effective Betts would be once he returned to the lineup. Given the nature of his recovery, it was reasonable to anticipate a slight fall-off in production.

Despite this, in just four games the Dodgers’ superstar was able to respond powerfully to these concerns.

In his season debut against the Tigers, Betts went 1-for-3 with a walk and a single against reigning AL Cy Young and Triple Crown winner Tarik Skubal. While the shortstop’s performance served as a promising start, Betts leveled up his game the following day.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Dodgers and Tigers were tied at two runs apiece. Betts hit a go-ahead solo home run off right-handed reliever Will Vest to put the Dodgers ahead by one run.

The Tigers tied the game once again in the top of the ninth inning. Then, they went ahead 5-3 in the top of the 10th inning off of a triple from Dillon Dingler. The Dodgers answered back in the bottom of the 10th inning, tying the game once again at five runs apiece following hits from Michael Conforto and Will Smith.

Shortly after, Shohei Ohtani singled to right field and set the stage for Betts to come to the plate with runners on second and third.

Facing reliever Beau Brieske, Betts swung and missed at the first pitch – a changeup below the zone. He proceeded to work a full count while seeing seven pitches from the right-hander. He fouled off another changeup and a fastball before gearing up for Brieske’s next offering.

On the eighth pitch of the at-bat, Betts got another low changeup. Only, this time, he did not miss.

Instead, he sent the ball sailing over the left field wall, walking off the Tigers and propelling the Dodgers to a 4-0 record to begin the season. It was the third walk-off home run of his career.

Building Momentum

A few days after Betts’ miraculous performance against the Tigers, he stepped into the box against the Atlanta Braves. Today, he would face his former teammate and the reigning NL Cy Young and Triple Crown winner, Chris Sale.

Sale looked dominant through his first five innings, striking out five batters while allowing just one hit. After giving up a leadoff single to Ohtani in the bottom of the sixth inning, Betts stepped into the box once again with the Dodgers down by one run.

Sale had struck out Betts in his first at-bat. Then, he hit him with an inside fastball during his next trip to the plate. This time around, Betts saw a hanging slider and hit yet another go-ahead home run to put the Dodgers on top 2-1.

The Dodgers went on to defeat the Braves for their seventh win in a row to start the season. Betts’ three go-ahead home runs played a pivotal role in maintaining this streak. Despite having just recovered from a debilitating illness while facing off against two of MLB’s best pitchers, Betts has been nothing short of phenomenal.

Under the Hood

Looking at his performance from a numbers perspective, Betts has been on a tear to begin the season. Through his 18 plate appearances, Betts collected six hits, three home runs, six RBIs, one walk, and one strikeout, good for a .375 batting average.

During this stretch, Betts worked to a 1.382 OPS (286 OPS+) while his BABIP sat at just .250. This would be the lowest mark of his career over a full season of work. Putting up numbers this strong while still getting somewhat unlucky makes these numbers even more impressive.

While this is an small sample compared to a full season, his results are promising given his struggles. He may have lost a significant amount of strength due to his illness. Despite this, Betts has been able to leverage his athleticism to remain a standout contributor for his team. 

The shortstop’s underlying metrics support this narrative. While his average exit velocity and bat speed have dipped from last year, Betts has still generated a batting run value in the 93rd percentile over his first few games. By making solid contact and lifting the ball, he has been able to mitigate concerns regarding his strength.

While Betts has lost a bit of power, he did not have a particularly fast bat speed in 2024 either. Betts’ ability to pull fly balls and control the strike zone are what carry him. While bat speed does correlate with hit distance, Betts relies more on squaring up the ball. Betts can lean into his contact tool without selling out for home runs.

The Path Ahead

As Betts continues to build himself back up, fans can be confident that he will return to form with time.

The Dodgers roster is incredibly talented with depth to boot. So, the team can likely afford to provide him with some extra time to recover and build strength if needed.

Betts has more on his plate this season than regaining his strength and maintaining offensive output. While he will look to keep producing at the plate, this season also marks Betts’ second attempt at trying to man the shortstop position for the Dodgers.

It is incredibly rare to see players switch to as demanding a position as shortstop this late in their careers. With that said, Betts has shown promise in his limited time in the role. There have been some awkward plays and defense miscues at times, as one might be expect. Regardless, Betts certainly possesses the capability to grow and adapt over a full season.

A former MVP and a leader in the Dodgers’ clubhouse, his presence is imperative both on and off the field. Regardless of his quality of play, Betts will play a pivotal role in helping the Dodgers defend their title.

Little can be said definitively about what to expect from Betts through the rest of the season. All the while, his initial foray into this season has showcased both his immense talent and an impressive resilience.