Dodgers GM Says Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman Falling Short of Expectations

Jul 22, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50) in the dugout prior to the first inning of the game against the Minnesota Twins at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Dodgers are sitting at 61-45 but are far from playing their best baseball as a team.

With a few clear areas to improve upon, like an ailing bullpen and outfield depth, superstars Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman have also shown just how much more they are capable of after the two had remarkable starts to the 2025 season, leading general manager Brandon Gomes to speak on the two pillars of his team.

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From dealing with a stomach bug that would keep him out of the end of spring training, leaving the team's trip to Japan early, and being absent for the first two games of the year, Betts had an unfortunate month of March. His first 10 games since returning to the team were electric, hitting .316/.395/.579 with a .974 OPS and three home runs.

Freeman battled his own ailments including offseason ankle surgery and a recovery from a broken rib cartilage that hampered his play throughout the postseason (although, it wasn't obvious in the World Series). The first baseman missed the first two games in Japan and after tweaking his surgically-repaired ankle just three games later, missed another 10 games.

In Freeman's first 47 games of the season, he had been putting up MVP-caliber numbers, with a slash line of .374/.440/.638 and an absurd 1.078 OPS.

June brought in quite the slump for the superstars, as Freeman is batting .213 since the start of the month and Betts is hitting .218 in that same span.

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Gomes touched on his squad missing third baseman Max Muncy, who was batting .333 through June despite his superstar teammates slumping before going down with a knee injury, and opened up on Freeman and Betts' lack of production.

"I think you get Muncy back and we're talking about future Hall of Famers in Freddie and Mookie that haven't been performing up to what our expectations are," Gomes said. "I feel strongly those guys will get it back on track and then as some of the other guys get back into a groove, coming off of injury, it's the same thing — I think the talent level is really high."

Some of the best pieces that the Dodgers can get at the trade deadline already exist on the roster. With Muncy set to return by the middle of August and two superstars not playing up to their production standards, perhaps LA will start to peak at the perfect time with October around the corner.

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