Mookie Betts Opens Up About 2025 Setbacks and the Surprising Future of His Dodgers Legacy

As the hustle and bustle in the Dodgers’ clubhouse began to wind down nearly three hours after the historic back-to-back World Series triumphs, one figure lingered longer than most—the man who has popped more celebratory champagne than any other active player in the game: Mookie Betts. This four-time World Series champ, fresh off donating prized game-used gear to the Baseball Hall of Fame, sat down for a candid chat with Yahoo Sports, reflecting on a rare feat that has eluded nearly every current player.

He admitted, “It’s hard to call it just a dream come true because, frankly, you don’t even dream about stuff like this. Winning it four times? That’s wild. But it’s amazing. Being part of great teams, solid clubhouses, first-rate organizations—that’s something special.”

This particular World Series journey held unique challenges for the Dodgers’ shortstop. Despite a rocky offensive stretch for much of the 2025 season and a batting average that plummeted to .138 in the World Series, Betts’ clutch moments proved invaluable. After shifts in his batting order—from the two-hole dropping to third and eventually cleanup—his manager’s unwavering confidence paid off. Betts’ critical two-run single in Game 6 sparked a comeback that propelled L.A. to a grueling 11-inning Game 7 victory.

“He’s a cornerstone of our squad,” manager Dave Roberts championed. “I’m all in with him, ‘ride or die,’ no question. You just can’t run from a player of his caliber.”

Defensively, Betts was nothing short of a masterclass, especially for a 33-year-old in his inaugural full season as a shortstop. A Gold Glove finalist, he was the architect behind the decisive 6-3 double play that sealed the championship. “That 11th inning moment? The most nerve-wracking highlight in my 12-year career,” he confided. The stakes couldn’t have been higher—one mistake then meant the difference between victory and heartbreak.

The intensity of this seven-game slugfest was palpable, and Betts described it as the toughest World Series he’s ever experienced, underscoring the collective effort it demanded. “Usually, one guy steals the spotlight, but this time, everybody stepped up. Yoshi [Yamamoto] was incredible on the mound, but the win was a true team triumph.”

With four rings to his name, Betts stands alone among active players—a testament to his enduring impact and consistency. Surrounded by teammates who boast their own trio of rings, he occupies a rarefied space in baseball’s storied history, joining an elite club shared by legends like Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera.

Looking ahead, the prospect of a fifth ring isn’t just a dream but a tangible goal, especially with six years left on his lucrative deal and the Dodgers’ knack for fielding juggernauts. “When the time comes, we’ll be hungry. Watching new guys savor their first taste of glory—that’s what really lights me up. Of course, I want to keep winning, but seeing others celebrate makes it all worthwhile.”

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As the Dodgers’ clubhouse began to clear three hours after the team clinched back-to-back World Series titles, one of the last people remaining in the room was the man who has popped more champagne than any other active player in baseball.

Mookie Betts.

After donating some of his game-used equipment to the Baseball Hall of Fame, the now-four-time World Series champion spent some time with Yahoo Sports to reflect on an accomplishment that few in recent memory and no one else currently playing the game have reached.

“Can’t really call it a dream come true, because you don’t really dream of stuff like that,” he told Yahoo Sports. “Winning it four times? That’s crazy. But man, it’s … it’s dope. I’ve been able to be a part of some really good teams. Some really good clubhouses and some great organizations.”

This World Series was different for the Dodgers’ shortstop for several reasons. Betts struggled offensively throughout most of the 2025 campaign. And even after he turned things around in the final two months of the season, his struggles returned in the postseason — even more so in the World Series, in which he batted .138.

Amid his playoff slump, Betts was dropped from his normal spot in the two-hole to batting third for Game 5 and then dropped again to the cleanup spot for Games 6 and 7. In hindsight, the moves worked, validating his manager’s faith that the former MVP would come through. Betts delivered the game-winning, two-run-single in Game 6, helping L.A. keep its season alive en route to its 11-inning victory in Game 7.

“He’s one of our guys,” manager Dave Roberts said before Game 6. “I’m going to, as they say, ‘ride or die’ with him. … I’m not going to run from him. He’s just too good of a player.”

Defense was a different story for Betts this year. The 33-year-old, who was a Gold Glove finalist in his first full season as a shortstop, put on a clinic throughout the postseason and, as it turned out, was the one who started the World Series-winning, 6-3 double play that closed out Game 7. That moment, Betts said afterward, was the most nerve-racking of his 12-year career.

“I told myself, ‘You can’t afford to make an error here,’” he said of the 11th inning of Game 7. “There’s no part of the season that resembles that. You can’t take reps like Game 7. Regular season, there’s no real consequence if you make an error. If you make an error there, there’s real consequences to it.”

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From Betts’ perspective, the pressure of that moment came from a hard-fought World Series that built intensity across the full seven games.

“That was probably the hardest … no, definitely the hardest World Series I’ve played in, for sure,” he said. “To go all seven games and then extra innings in the last game — a complete team effort. Usually, you can see one guy that kind of stands out that does this, that and the other. What Yoshi [Yamamoto] did was amazing, obviously. But on the other side of the ball, it took everybody.”

Betts is the only active MLB player with four World Series rings. (Amy Monks/Yahoo Sports)

The intangibles of a winning ballplayer are often difficult to quantify. But someone having four World Series titles on his mantle certainly makes that task a lot easier. In his career thus far, Betts has done something that very few players in the past 30 years have achieved. He’s the only active MLB player with four rings, and all five of the players with three are his teammates: Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Will Smith, Kiké Hernández and Blake Treinen.

More than 23,000 players have appeared in Major League Baseball throughout the sport’s history, and just 55 have won five or more World Series titles. The most recent players to do it were members of the Yankees during their dynastic run in the late 1990s and early 2000s, including Derek Jeter, David Cone, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada.

The most recent player to win five World Series titles who wasn’t part of that group is Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson, who won three titles with the Oakland A’s from 1972-74 before capturing two more with the Yankees in 1977 and ‘78.

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With his fourth World Series ring secured, a fifth is definitely within reach for Betts, who has six seasons remaining on his 12-year, $365 million contract with the Dodgers. Given the talent that L.A. routinely assembles, it’s not at all out of the realm of possibility that more World Series rings could be in store for the former MVP.

“Oh, man,” Betts said as he pondered a fifth title. “I mean, when that time comes, when my mind flips back on, I think we’ll be hungry. I know, obviously, for me personally, it’ll be really cool, but I know the people that it affects.

“I like seeing other guys win their first one — that’s what I really enjoy. I mean, yeah, I would love to keep winning. But seeing the guys, the new guys, coming in. Seeing them pop champagne for the first time, seeing them holding the World Series trophies for the first time …

“That’s what brings me joy.”