BOSTON -- Mookie Betts admits this regularly: He hasn't remotely lived up to his own expectations so far this season. At the depths of his struggles earlier in the year, when the reigning American League MVP's batting average dipped as low as .260 after reaching .346 in 2018, Betts struggled to find his swing, failing to turn on pitches. Fly balls popping out to right field became common sights during Betts' at-bats in the first half of the season, and Red Sox fans openly wondered what had happened to Boston's offensive catalyst.
As concerns around Betts permeated throughout the season's first half, the team struggled to put together consistent offensive production.