The Los Angeles Dodgers will be disappointed not to have won the World Series in 2021, having been defeated by the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS. Despite their massive trade deadline acquisitions of Max Scherzer and Trea Turner, the Dodgers were unable to even clinch a World Series berth. Well, despite losing some talent in the offseason, the Dodgers are still expected to be among World Series favorites.

In order to make good on their expectations, the Dodgers will need a resurgence from some of their key players. While many players enjoyed breakout seasons in 2021, there were a few vital hitters that were not performing to their expected level. If the Dodgers want to de-throne the Giants in the NL West and pursue another World Series ring, it will be dependent on a bounce-back season out of these three players.

3 Dodgers players who need bounce-back seasons in 2022

3. Mookie Betts

To say Mookie Betts had a bad year in 2021 would be harsh, as he still put together some solid numbers. He just didn't have the season baseball fans were expecting from the former Red Sox AL MVP. Across 122 games last year, Betts slashed .264/.367/.487, hitting 23 home runs and driving in 58 runs. Those numbers are a far cry from the production during his tenure in Boston, though he still managed a solid .854 OPS.

From 2016-19, Betts slashed .305/.382/.535 with 116 home runs, 375 RBI, and 98 stolen bases. He was a perennial All-Star and American League MVP candidate during that stretch, but has fallen off a bit since joining the Dodgers in 2020. He was phenomenal in the 60-game COVID-shortened season, but his 2021 campaign left much to be desired for a player of his quality. If he can get back to his old self in 2022, it'll go a long way toward the Dodgers winning another World Series.

2. Gavin Lux

The former No. 1 prospect in all of baseball has not lived up to the billing since getting his shot in the big leagues. While expectations were high for Lux upon his promotion to the Dodgers, he's been lackluster since reaching the Majors. Across 102 games last season, Lux slashed just .242/.328/.364 with 7 home runs, 46 RBI, and 83 strikeouts in 335 at-bats. For a player with his prospect pedigree, the Dodgers were hoping for much more, but he ultimately failed to deliver.

The good news for Lux, is he's just 24 years old, giving him ample time to fix his approach in the box and rediscover the form that had him heralded as one of the brightest young talents in the sport. If he wants to be an everyday starter for the Dodgers going forward, he'll need to show some serious improvements over his paltry numbers from the 2021 campaign.

1. Cody Bellinger

Is there even another choice for this? Cody Bellinger went from looking like baseball's next big thing to becoming a complete afterthought on the Dodgers. A quick look at his regular season stats and you would scarcely believe that just two years ago, this very player won the National League MVP.

In 2021, Bellinger slashed .165/.240/.302 with 10 home runs and 36 RBI across 95 games. He struck out 94 times and recorded a total of just 52 hits on the season. Compared to his 2019 campaign during which he won NL MVP after blasting 47 home runs and recording 115 RBI, last year was a worrying sight for Dodgers fans.

There's reason for optimism with Bellinger, however, as he was phenomenal during Los Angeles' postseason run. While the team fell short of the World Series, Bellinger was seeing the ball well, recording 12 hits in 29 at-bats across 12 games. He hit one home run, drove in 7 RBI, and stole 5 bases for LA in the postseason, offering fresh hope for a rebound season in 2022.