Mookie Betts calls himself MLB’s unluckiest hitter after brutal lineout

Mookie Betts blames bad luck after another brutal lineout on 15 Jul

Mookie Betts admitted he’s been the unluckiest hitter in MLB this season after a 101.3 mph line drive died at shortstop on 15 Jul. The Dodgers star’s expected batting average on that ball was .640, yet it became a harmless out.

What happened in Tampa?

Betts crushed a first-pitch cutter from Drew Rasmussen into the left side of the infield. Taylor Walls, the Rays shortstop, leaped and snared the ball at shoulder height for a lineout. “You just kind of have to live with that,” Betts said the next day. “It sucks living with.”

Through 40 games, Betts is hitting just .203. That’s 85 points below his career average and 55 points worse than his 2025 career-worst mark of .258. Yet his expected average sits at .277, the biggest gap in baseball.

Why it matters for Mookie Betts

The 33-year-old MVP has spent weeks dissecting his swing. He’s cutting his swing short and failing to stay through the ball. “I just want to get it off the ground,” he said. “Not necessarily in the air for a fly ball, just off the ground.”

For the first time in his career, Betts is poring over mechanics: body positioning, swing angles, bat contact points. “My whole life I haven’t had to think in this type of detail,” he said. “I’ve been able to figure it out on instinct. Now if I’m not perfect, I don’t have much of a chance.”

Dodgers hitting coaches keep reminding him of his expected stats. Betts calls them “not real.” He wants to win games, even if it means aiming for a bloop instead of a screaming liner.

What comes next?

Betts plans to keep driving the ball hard while adjusting his approach. He’s already noticed too many hard-hit balls staying on the ground. “Hitting it center on the bat-that’s the ticket,” he said.

The Dodgers (42-38) remain in the wild-card hunt. Betts’ next turn at bat could come as soon as Friday in Los Angeles.