Mookie Betts Overcomes Cold Start, Joins Shohei Ohtani in Powering Dodgers’ Offense

The Los Angeles Dodgers entered the 2025 season with sky-high expectations. With Shohei Ohtani joining an already star-studded roster, the belief across Major League Baseball was that the Dodgers were poised to dominate from Opening Day. But early on, not everything went according to plan—especially for Mookie Betts.

A perennial All-Star, former MVP, and face of the franchise since arriving in Los Angeles in 2020, Betts endured a frustrating and highly scrutinized start to the season. Meanwhile, Ohtani lived up to the massive hype, delivering at the plate even while still rehabbing from his second Tommy John surgery as a pitcher. Yet as April faded and May began, Betts has reminded fans, media, and the rest of the league why he remains one of baseball’s most complete players.

Together, Betts and Ohtani have become the offensive heartbeat of a Dodgers team that now looks every bit the powerhouse it was projected to be. Betts’s turnaround has been as dramatic as it is critical. Alongside Ohtani’s consistency, it’s powering Los Angeles through injuries, underperformance from others, and intense pressure to deliver in a year when nothing less than a World Series will satisfy fans.

Cold Start Sparks Concern

Through the first 20 games of the 2025 season, Betts looked like a shell of the player who finished second in NL MVP voting just a year earlier. He was batting just .211 with only two home runs and an OPS south of .650. While the sample size was small, the struggles felt louder given Betts’ stature and the Dodgers’ slow start as a team.

Much of the criticism centered on Betts’ transition to shortstop—an experiment that began in spring training and continued into the regular season. Though praised for his versatility, learning the most demanding infield position while trying to carry an offense proved challenging.

“I put a lot on myself,” Betts admitted in an interview during the slump. “I want to be great, and I want to win. That sometimes gets in the way of just playing free.”

Some fans and analysts wondered aloud if the position change was affecting his timing at the plate. Others questioned if age and wear-and-tear were finally starting to catch up with the 31-year-old.

But behind the scenes, there was no panic in the Dodgers clubhouse. Manager Dave Roberts stayed firm in his support, and teammates continued to believe Betts would break through.

Shohei Ohtani Keeps Rolling

While Betts struggled, Shohei Ohtani shined. The $700 million man dazzled at the plate in his first month wearing Dodger blue. He batted over .330 with six home runs and an OPS well above 1.000 through the first five weeks, making it clear his recovery from elbow surgery hadn’t affected his elite hitting.

Ohtani’s presence in the lineup has transformed the way pitchers approach the Dodgers. With Freddie Freeman and Will Smith also offering steady production, Los Angeles hasn’t lacked for star power. But what the team desperately needed was for Betts to return to form and provide the spark and swagger that had defined so many past Dodgers teams.

The Turnaround

Everything changed for Betts in early May. In a pivotal series against the rival San Diego Padres, Betts broke out of his slump in emphatic fashion with a three-hit game that included a go-ahead homer and several sharp defensive plays at shortstop.

Since then, he’s been one of the hottest hitters in baseball.

Over a 20-game stretch from May 2 through May 25, Betts hit .358 with 7 home runs, 6 doubles, and 20 RBIs. His OPS skyrocketed to .960 during that stretch, and his advanced metrics—barrel rate, exit velocity, and walk-to-strikeout ratio—all returned to elite levels.

“Baseball’s a game of adjustments,” Betts said. “You keep working, keep trusting your process, and eventually things start to click. I never lost confidence, but it feels good to get results.”

His defense has also stabilized. While not as naturally smooth at shortstop as some lifelong infielders, Betts has made all the routine plays and shown off his elite instincts and arm strength. His versatility—having played right field, second base, and shortstop at a high level—is drawing comparisons to players like Craig Biggio and Ben Zobrist, only with more power.

Betts + Ohtani = Dynamic Duo

With Betts red-hot and Ohtani continuing to terrorize pitchers, the Dodgers offense has reached a new gear. In the month of May alone, Los Angeles has averaged nearly six runs per game, led the National League in home runs, and posted the best team OPS.

Opposing managers now face a nightmare gauntlet at the top of the Dodgers order. Betts leads off, setting the tone with high on-base percentage and pop, followed by Ohtani in the No. 2 hole, who has shown no fear in clutch situations. Freeman and Smith follow, and suddenly there’s nowhere to hide.

“You can’t pitch around all of them,” said an NL scout. “Betts gets on, and Ohtani makes you pay. Or vice versa. It’s murderer’s row.”

In a recent nationally televised Sunday Night Baseball game against the Braves, Betts and Ohtani combined to go 6-for-8 with three home runs and seven RBIs, almost single-handedly winning the game. It was a snapshot of what the Dodgers envisioned when they built this roster.

Leadership and Accountability

What makes Betts’ resurgence even more important is what it means to the clubhouse. While Ohtani is relatively quiet and focused on his individual preparation, Betts is the vocal heartbeat of the team. He’s the one firing up teammates in the dugout, holding others accountable, and representing the Dodgers in the media during good times and bad.

“He’s our leader,” Freeman said. “When he’s going, everyone feeds off that energy. He plays with so much passion and intelligence. It’s contagious.”

That leadership was on full display during a recent stretch when the Dodgers lost four straight games. Betts called a team meeting—not to scold, but to remind everyone of the expectations and the work required to meet them. The Dodgers promptly won five of their next six.

Navigating the Injury Bug

It’s also worth noting how much Betts and Ohtani have had to carry the load amid a rash of injuries. As of late May, the Dodgers have 12 pitchers on the injured list, including multiple All-Stars. Walker Buehler, Dustin May, and Brusdar Graterol are all sidelined, creating strain on the bullpen and rotation.

Position players haven’t been immune either. Max Muncy has missed time with a hamstring injury. Gavin Lux continues to be inconsistent after his own long layoff. And top prospect Miguel Vargas has struggled to adjust to MLB pitching.

Through it all, Betts and Ohtani have remained constants.

“You don’t win a division in April or May,” Roberts said. “But you can lose one if your leaders don’t step up. Mookie and Shohei have carried us through some rough patches. And now we’re starting to hit our stride.”

MVP Conversation

With his early-season slump now firmly in the rearview, Betts is climbing back into the MVP conversation. And if Ohtani keeps this pace and stays healthy, he could make history by winning his third MVP award—this time in the National League.

It’s not out of the question that the two stars could finish 1-2 in voting. That kind of season would put the 2025 Dodgers in the conversation with the greatest teams of the last 20 years, especially if they back it up with postseason success.

The Bigger Picture

What Betts and Ohtani are doing isn’t just statistically impressive—it’s symbolic of what the Dodgers are trying to build: A fusion of superstar talent, unselfish leadership, and championship mentality.

The franchise made an enormous investment in Ohtani, but they also made a statement by trusting Betts to lead. Even when the results weren’t there in April, Betts remained accountable, engaged, and ready to ignite once he found his rhythm.

Now, the Dodgers are starting to look like the juggernaut everyone feared. And at the center of it all are two transcendent players—one a two-way marvel from Japan, the other an American veteran with a golden glove, a sharp eye, and a fiery will to win.

Looking Ahead

With nearly two-thirds of the season remaining, there are still plenty of challenges ahead. The Dodgers will need better health, continued pitching development, and perhaps a trade deadline boost to fully realize their potential.

But with Betts and Ohtani locked in, they’ve already overcome the biggest hurdle—stabilizing their foundation.

The summer of 2025 is shaping up to be one for the books in Los Angeles. And whether it ends in another World Series parade will likely depend on whether Betts and Ohtani can keep leading the way.

For now, the rest of MLB has been put on notice: Mookie Betts is back, Shohei Ohtani is exactly who we thought he was, and the Dodgers are just getting started.