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With certain players, you don’t really care what the stats say. Take Mookie Betts for example. I think most people will agree he is the consensus second best player in all of baseball. He’s won essentially every award you could possibly win, and he’s in the prime of his career.
However, one thing that Betts hasn’t really been able to get going is his success in the postseason. Entering this year with LA, his career slash line in the playoffs is .227/.313/.341/.654. Shocking, isn’t it?
Sure, it’s only a 21 game sample size, but for arguably the best player in the game, seeing him struggle so much when it matters most is a bit concerning. Well, through the first two games, Betts is showing that maybe it was an American League thing. He’s 3-for-7 with 3 RBI so far, with all three hits being doubles.
“Every at bat is important,” manager Dave Roberts said about what makes Betts so special. “He competes. He makes a pitcher work. Everything about him I love. He came up big for us [in Game 1] with a couple of doubles and [in Game 2] with another double. He’s definitely as good as advertised.”
Dodgers fans got to see it first hand this season, as Betts finished with yet another fantastic season. He’ll likely be a finalist for the NL MVP, along with being a likely winner of the Gold Glove Award and Silver Slugger Award.
Betts could be a career .100 hitter in the postseason, and I’d still have full trust in him at the plate. Regardless of what their numbers say, there are just certain players you can throw the stats away for. Betts is one of the few exceptions.
“Mookie separates himself with the consistency,” Clayton Kershaw said. “The other things he can do on the baseball field if he happens to not be getting hits. Theres a confidence there that’s just a calming influence. It’s expected that we’re going to win. You feed off that. Not by what he says, but by how he carries himself. It’s awesome. Thankful he’s on our team.”
Same, Clayton. I’m thankful he’s on the Dodgers too.