It's been just over a year since the Los Angeles Dodgers were on top of the baseball world following their second consecutive World Series title. 

In the offseason, they made it clear they were going for a third straight when they acquired Kyle Tucker and Edwin Diaz. However, throughout the 2026 season, the vulnerabilities introduced by Father Time played a role in the Dodgers' ultimate downfall when they were swept by the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series. 

Injuries to Shohei Ohtani and other aging stars made a big difference in the outcome of Los Angeles' season, and it eventually went against a younger, better team that could not be overcome. 

Now, the Dodgers must face the reality that their star-studded but ultra-expensive and older roster may not be good enough or durable enough right now. One such veteran who has provided several quality years for the Dodgers is Mookie Betts, but how long will he produce quality appearances?

Let's review how his season went.

The 2026 campaign marked Betts’ 13th Major League Baseball season of his career. It was also his seventh with the Dodgers. 

Betts, 34, had a rough start to the season when he was placed on the 10-day Injured List for a right oblique strain on April 5. Betts missed more than a month with the injury and was finally activated from the IL on May 11. 

As a result, Betts appeared in 123 games in the 2026 regular season, which was 27 fewer than the 150 he appeared in during 2025. By the time the regular season was over, Betts had posted a .257 batting average, a .326 on-base percentage, a .454 slugging percentage and a .780 OPS with 23 home runs and 69 RBIs. 

He was better at home than he was on the road, posting a .274/.349/.504 slash line with an .853 OPS in 62 games versus a .242/.304/.407 slash line with a .711 OPS in 61 road games. Betts' best month was in September, when, over 23 games, he hit .337 with a massive 1.112 OPS. 

He also hit seven home runs and logged 22 RBIs. 

It seemed as if Betts was getting hot at the right time, but like the rest of the Dodgers' offense in the playoffs, his numbers plummeted. Over eight postseason games, Betts took 29 at-bats, and his batting average fell to .207, as did his on-base percentage (.343), his slugging percentage (.207) and his OPS (.550). 

He went cold, and it hurt Los Angeles. 

Overall, Betts is still a good player, but like many others on the roster, his age cannot be ignored. As it stands, he is only halfway through a 12-year, $365 million contract, and he will not become an unrestricted free agent until 2033, his age-40 season. 

It's hard to say what the long-term future for Betts looks like, but in the immediate sense, he is still a valuable piece for this team.