Mookie Betts of the Dodgers is one of the top 5 players in the Major Leagues, but manager Dave Roberts believes he could increase his productivity and overall level of play if his concentration would improve.

Roberts was somewhat critical of the superstar, who has been batting leadoff in the Dodgers lineup. The Dodgers manager said he noticed that Betts' concentration level was at a high level when he played infield recently, but that his motor doesn't always run at the highest level.

Betts did not get angry when he heard about Roberts' assessment of his intensity level, but he did not agree with that position. “If that’s how he feels, cool,” Betts says. “I know for me personally I don’t feel that way. But maybe he’s saying something that he sees. I don’t know. I’m not saying he’s wrong. Maybe he sees something.”

Betts has hit 11 home runs, driven in 30 runs and has scored 37 runs from his current spot at the top of the Los Angeles lineup. However, he is slashing .255/.364/.522, and his batting average is well below his career mark of .291. It's clear that Roberts would like to see even more production from Betts throughout the rest of the season.

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Mookie Betts was at his best in the 2018 season when he was a brilliant star for the Boston Red Sox, and he reprised that role in helping the Dodgers earn a World Series title in 2020. However, he struggled with injuries during the 2021 season and inconsistency last year.

“I feel like I’ve been so up and down, man,” he says. “The downs are the times that I really remember. But also, I don’t really think about things in those terms.”