The Los Angeles Dodgers entered Friday at 44-25 and atop the National League West, and one of their cornerstone stars is navigating a rare slump at the plate.
Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts is hitting .185, with a .255 on-base percentage, along with six home runs and 17 RBIs entering a weekend series opener against the Chicago White Sox on Friday, numbers well off the standard that made him an eight-time All-Star, six-time Gold Glove winner and four-time World Series champion. Even as he works to find his swing, Betts continues to build a media portfolio that has become its own kind of career.
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He started his own YouTube Channel in 2023, launched the "On Base with Mookie Betts" podcast through Bleacher Report, which features athletes from around the world, and is now working on a project that dropped on Disney+ on Friday.
Betts lends his voice to Dizzy Doubleday, a baseball player who loves helping young kids learn the game in "Marvel's Iron Man and his Awesome Friends." The Disney Jr. animated series rolled out 11 new episodes this week, with Betts featured in one titled "Swarm's Baseball Swing and a Mess."
"I had a blast lending my voice to this episode and can't wait for everyone to check it out," Betts said on Instagram.
Betts will not be the only athlete on the show, as ESPN analyst and former softball star Jessica Mendoza will be voicing Dottie Doubleday. A "Toy Story" appearance is also on the way this summer.
As the Dodgers chase another deep October run, Betts keeps proving his reach extends well beyond the batter's box, even during a season that's been testing him.
