"Prove to everyone and also myself that I can do it" - Mookie Betts vows to eradicate postseason sluggishness ahead of Dodgers' World Series bid

Dodgers star Mookie Betts has opened up on his desire to terminate his postseason sluggishness as he looks to contribute more to the team in the upcoming season.

Pressure might be a bit low on Betts for the upcoming season with the addition of names to the Dodgers' dressing room, like Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Gavin Lux. But the star seems to be ready to give all for the team this season.

In an interview with SportsNet LA, the Dodgers 2B talked about his plans to prove his worth in the postseason and help his team achieve their World Series dream.

[00:06:57] "Just to be the best Mookie Betts I can be. To go and show that I’m still good. That I can compete through the season and through playoffs. I know I didn’t do well, obviously, last playoffs and so I want to get back to where I can compete when it’s crunch time," Betts said.

"Prove to everyone and also prove to myself that I can do it. And I believe in myself and that’s really it.”

Betts had a great regular season for the Los Angeles-based team. He played in three different positions for the Dodgers last season. The MLB star played as a 2B for 70 games, 107 games as an outfielder and 16 games as a shortstop. The 31-year-old ended the season with a .307 batting average and a career-high 39 home runs and 107 RBI.

However, the postseason hasn't been Betts' strong suit for the last couple of years. In 2022, he went 2-for-14 against the San Diego Padres in 2022 NDLS; in 2023, it was 0-for-11.

Mookie Betts reflects on Dodgers receiving criticism for aggressive player pursuit this off-season

Dodgers star Mookie Betts recently talked about the Dodgers being hated for their huge splash in the market this off-season. The Los Angeles-based team has been one of the most aggressive groups in the market. They have stacked up stars and have done a commendable job bolstering their roster from all positions.

In a recent interview with Dodger Talk, he defended the Dodgers' strategy of stacking up the biggest names in the market. He candidly mentioned that the team's here to win, and using all the resources in hand to do so wasn't something bad or something to criticize.

"I mean, it kind of is what it is. I don’t know what you want us to do [...] When you’re blessed with an ability, why would you not use that, you know what I mean? Without getting into the business, that’s plain and simple. I mean, sorry for trying guys. We won’t do that again," Betts said.

The Dodgers have been in the headlines for the better part of this offseason with their all-in attitude toward acquiring the top stars. They brought in former Angels star Shohei Ohtani on a $700 million deal, the biggest deal in professional sports history.

However, they didn't stop there, as they signed another Japanese star, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who had attracted interest from other MLB teams like the Yankees and Mets. The Dodgers also signed Tyler Glasnow on a trade deal from the Rays.

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