The Los Angeles Dodgers have been without Shohei Ohtani since he landed on the injured list with lingering left knee and right biceps injuries, but they still clinched their fifth consecutive NL West title and 13th in 14 seasons with an 8-2 win over the Reds. In the absence of Ohtani, Mookie Betts was given the leadoff spot, and the 33-year-old has been on fire at the plate since then.
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While Betts is hitting .259 this season, he’s just getting better with time. In the last 15 games, he’s been hitting .362, which went up to .429 in the last 7 games. And with 22 home runs so far, he already topped his last two seasons’ stats. So, as his numbers have surged, Betts has now spoken openly about the role his faith plays in his life and in the heights he’s reached.
“As I got a little older playing ball, I kind of wanted the sense of purpose, because ball is just an avenue to show what God has given me and given all of us,” Sports Spectrum quoted Betts, who opened up during the Faith and Family Day on Sunday.
“Once I wanted to learn my purpose, I think going to chapel, getting to know Cash, getting to know these guys has really changed my life completely. These are literally like my brothers. Obviously, we’ve grown playing baseball and winning together, but I think we’ve grown the most in our Bible studies and our chapels on Sundays.”
The Dodgers organised “Faith and Family Day” on Sunday as part of their annual events. Six players, including utility man Tommy Edman, Betts, Blake Treinen, Justin Wrobleski, Evan Phillips and Alex Call, joined team chaplain Brandon Cash for the event.
On Sunday, Betts revealed that his baseball career serves as an avenue for his faith. He has stated that no matter how well or how poorly he plays on the field, he makes it a priority to pray and give glory to God every day.
Betts actively participates in the Dodgers’ Sunday chapel services and Bible studies alongside teammates. He has credited chapel and Bible study with changing his life and recently discussed how the story of King Solomon reshaped the way he thinks about success.
He often wears a wristband as well, featuring the phrase “God is greater than the highs and lows” as a constant visual reminder to remain humble and grounded no matter what comes his way. However, Betts also said he didn’t really grow up in church, spending most of his weekends playing baseball instead.
That said, Last season was nothing special for Betts, both on the field and off the field. A stomach virus before the season caused Betts to lose nearly 20 pounds, and he later said returning so far underweight affected his swing. He finished 2025 with a career-low .406 slugging percentage. But 2026 changed things.
His slugging percentage jumped to .454 in 2026. Especially in September, he posted a spectacular .373/.468/.746 slash line with 6 home runs, highlighted by an explosive stretch where he went 7-for-12 over three games against the Giants.
The fans would only hope that Mookie Betts’ surge stays till deep into the postseason.