Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts is working on a fantastic career.
The 29-year-old began his MLB stint with the Boston Red Sox, but he has spent each of his past two seasons wearing Dodger Blue.
Overall, he has eight years of big-league experience under his belt, and he has accomplished a lot.
Today, we’re going to rank his three best seasons so far.
Let’s get started.
3. 2020 Season
The 2020 MLB season was an odd one, which everyone acknowledges.
But Betts made the most of it, and so did the Dodgers.
The five-time All-Star finished second in the 2020 NL MVP race after slashing .292/.367/.487 over 55 games.
He homered 16 times, doubled nine times, and tripled once.
He also racked up a bWAR of 3.6, a very impressive mark given the length of the season.
In addition to his second-place MVP finish, he took home Gold Glove and Silver Slugger honors.
Above all, the Dodgers won the World Series, giving Betts his second career ring.
There’s no telling if the team would have won it all without his contributions.
2. 2016 Season
In 2016, Betts really put the league on notice.
He was a legitimate MVP candidate for the first time in his career, and a lot of folks thought he was going to win it until Mike Trout wound up taking home the hardware.
Betts batted .318 with an OPS of .897 and OPS+ of 133.
He homered 31 times, doubled 42 times, tripled five times, and led the league in total bases with 359.
The former fifth-round pick also swiped 26 bags and drove in 113 runs.
He finished the season with a massive WAR of 9.5, which stands as the second-best mark of his career today.
A good chunk of his value came defensively.
He posted a defensive bWAR of 1.6 and racked up 30 Defensive Runs Saved.
Betts was rewarded for his stellar 2016 campaign with an All-Star selection, Silver Slugger Award, and Gold Glove Award.
1. 2018 Season
For the top spot on this list, not much consideration was given to any season other than Betts’ 2018 campaign.
The superstar won MVP honors in 2018 by putting together a historically good year.
For starters, he earned a bWAR of 10.7, which ranks as a top 25 WAR season in MLB history.
He achieved that mark by slashing .346/.438/.640, giving him an OPS of 1.078.
He also had a 186 OPS+, which means he was 86 percent better than league-average according to that statistic.
Betts smacked 32 home runs, 47 doubles, and five triples.
As usual, he also got the job done with his glove.
He registered a 1.6 defensive bWAR and 18 Defensive Runs Saved.
Unsurprisingly, Betts was given a handful of accolades (in addition to the AL MVP award) as a result of his phenomenal season: a Gold Glove Award, Silver Slugger Award, and All-Star selection.
This was also the year in which he won his first World Series title, as the Red Sox won 108 games in the regular season and coasted to the championship.
Today, Betts still seems to have plenty of gas left in the tank, and fans should prepare to see him in the MVP mix for years to come.
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