The Los Angeles Dodgers trading for Mookie Betts several years ago was one of the best moves in franchise history. Los Angeles has won three World Series since (2020, 2024, 2025), and continues to dominate Major League Baseball.
LA is off to another strong start this season, and is the favorite to win the World Series for a third-straight season, but Mookie Betts, who battled an oblique injury for a month, has been struggling a bit. Betts may have broken out of his slump on Tuesday against the Rockies with a two-homer performance, but Mookie Betts also opened up about the backlash he’s been receiving online, and how he’s able to combat it.
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Mookie Betts Deletes Social Media Amid Online Hate
GettyTORONTO, ONTARIO – OCTOBER 24: Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on before the game against the Toronto Blue Jays in game one of the World Series at Rogers Center on October 24, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images)
Dodgers’ star shortstop Mookie Betts recently spoke with The Athletic reporter Katie Woo about his offensive slump and revealed that he has deleted social media:
“A Dodgers fan favorite since the Boston Red Sox traded him to Los Angeles in 2020, Betts acknowledges he hasn’t felt much of the love lately. He says the hostility on social media that often accompanies slumping players may be impacting him more than seasons past, though he’s not sure why. He deleted his social media accounts from his phone earlier in the week, saying he was losing sleep over some of the comments directed at him from fans.”
Betts brings up the point of how fans can cheer so loudly at the games, but then rain down hate online when a player is going through a time of mental disruption.
Mookie also revealed to Woo that things used to come easier for the 8X MLB All-Star, and he’s sort of having to reinvent himself:
“It’s hard. Some things I used to do naturally don’t come naturally anymore,” Betts said. “Some things I have a knack for, just figuring things out, aren’t the same. It’s all new experiences that I’m trying to learn. I’m doing different things. I’m here every day early. I’m just trying to figure it out.”
The good news for the Dodgers is that they have a great manager in Dave Roberts, who moved Mookie down in the order to the cleanup spot, and Betts had a big night against the Rockies, hitting two home runs and driving in five runs.
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Mookie Betts’ 2026 Season with the Dodgers
GettyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 27: Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers speaks to the media after being presented the Roberto Clemente award before game three of the 2025 World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays at Dodger Stadium on October 27, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
After Tuesday night’s huge win over the Rockies, Mookie Betts is now hitting .190 with 6 home runs, 15 RBI, and an OPS+ of 89 over 84 at-bats.
If Mookie stays healthy, he will get 100s of more at-bats this season, and that sample size will ultimately determine his 2026 season. However, the good news for Betts is that there isn’t much pressure on him in a lineup that features Shohei Ohtani, Andy Pages, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, and other All-Star players.
Right now, the issue for Betts this season is his on-base percentage, which is .250. His career OBP is .367, so there’s no doubt he’ll creep closer to that mark at some point this season, and his numbers will look a lot better when that happens.
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