The Los Angeles Dodgers are on the verge of returning to the World Series, heading back home with a 2–0 series lead over the Milwaukee Brewers. Superstar Mookie Betts has continued his season turnaround deep into October, with his efforts at the plate and on the field. Betts has made it clear he intends on winning more championships in Los Angeles, and now he has the Dodgers six wins away from earning back-to-back World Series titles.
After struggling in the first half, the 33-year-old shortstop has been a force in the postseason. Betts owns a .303 batting average, .395 on-base percentage, .849 OPS, along with four extra-base hits and five RBIs in eight playoff games. This is not a surprise, as Betts had seemingly returned to form in the second half and his postseason results are indicative he is past his early struggles.
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Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50) © William Liang-Imagn Images
As the Dodgers prepare for Game 3 against Milwaukee, Betts received exciting news after a Rawlings Baseball announcement revealed he had been selected as a finalist for a Gold Glove Award at shortstop on Wednesday. During pregame on Thursday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts admitted, “I think the only person on this planet who believed he would be in this position was Mookie Betts” (h/t ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez).
If Betts takes home the award, it would mark the seventh Gold Glove of his 12-year career, but his first at shortstop. Betts spent the entire offseason dedicated to learning how to play shortstop at an elite level and it has paid off as he has been recognized.
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The numbers back up Betts’ improvement at the position. According to Baseball Savant’s Statcast, Betts collected 6 Outs Above Average, a metric that attempts to measure a player compared to league average. Betts does not have the strongest arm, yet he makes up for it with his range up the middle.
Betts’ focus will remain on winning his fourth championship, yet in a season where he experienced so much adversity in the first half struggling at the plate and losing more than 20 pounds before the season started, he has once again proven himself as an elite player at the top. Betts is on his way to the Hall of Fame with an impressive list of career accolades as an eight-time All-Star, seven Silver Sluggers, a batting title and the 2018 AL MVP.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Oct 16, 2025, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
