Mookie Betts is absolutely on fire for the Dodgers right now, blasting his way through the final homestand with a ridiculous .833 average over his last three games. Seriously, let that sink in for a second: .833. The man is completely locked in, hitting five extra-base hits and driving in five runs in that short stretch, capped off by a crazy four-hit, three-double performance on Saturday during the Dodgers’ 10-4 rout of the San Francisco Giants.
Mookie’s Second Half Surge Is No Accident
This late-season tear from Betts is not some random fluke, folks. It’s the culmination of a full second-half turnaround after what looked like a rough start to 2026. Remember, an oblique injury sidelined him for a month, leaving him limping into the All-Star break with a .235 average, .293 on-base, and .416 slugging, along with only 11 homers and 31 RBI in 60 games. But since the second half kicked off, it’s like he flipped a switch, morphing back into that 2023 MVP-runner-up beast we all know. Over his last 56 games, he’s slashing .290/.364/.452, matched his first-half home run total with another 11, and blown past his RBI count with 36. Betts has bounced all over the lineup this year, from leadoff to the six hole, but he’s really certified himself as a force at the top during this final stretch. He even joked with David Vassegh of SportsNet LA about it, saying, “It’s fun. Like you said, I’ve done it for so long, but that man Shohei, he deserves what he gets. We all know where he needs to hit in the lineup.” Sounds like he’s ready for whatever comes when Ohtani returns to full hitting duties.
The Dodgers Are Gelling When It Matters Most
Betts isn’t the only one heating up, either. The whole Dodgers squad is finding ways to win, even when individual performances aren’t perfect. Take left-hander Tarik Skubal, who had a rough outing Saturday, giving up four earned runs and a season-low three strikeouts over five innings. But his offense bailed him out, exploding for six runs after he left the mound, handing him his fourth win. Skubal didn’t mince words about it, telling Vassegh, “Obviously, I wasn’t very good today. The offense, defense and bullpen picked me up big time, and that’s what good teams do, they pick each other up, and win series and win baseball games. Hats off to them.” That’s the kind of team chemistry you love to see heading into the critical moments of the season.
Then you’ve got Tyler Glasnow. Mirjam Swanson at the Los Angeles Times caught up with him, and it sounds like he’s dialing in, too. After a solid Friday start against San Francisco, where he allowed only two runs and fanned 10 hitters, Glasnow said, “Today was a step in the right direction. I’d rather kind of feel it, work through some stuff, and have a good one right before playoffs. I think I’m in a good spot right now.” That confidence is massive. And speaking of massive, Shohei Ohtani is making huge strides. Jack Harris of the California Post reported Ohtani is doing base running drills and even crushing balls off the Trajekt Ark pitching machine. Hitting coach Aaron Bates says Ohtani has been “really good” with the machine, with the next hurdle being live batting practice.
With the regular season winding down, seeing Mookie Betts go absolutely ballistic at the plate, combined with key guys like Glasnow finding their rhythm and Ohtani getting closer to a full return, the Dodgers are building serious momentum. Keep an eye out for that Ohtani live BP update, because that’s when things are gonna get real interesting. This team is clearly focused on picking each other up and pushing hard as the final games tick down.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by True Blue LA.
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