It's safe to say Mookie Betts is not off to the best start after winning the American League MVP award last season.
17 games into 2019, Betts is hitting .222 with an OBP of .324 and a .413 slugging percentage, a far cry from last year's .346/.438/.640 slash line.
Betts' frustration boiled over after the Red Sox were blown out 8-1 at home against the Orioles. He went 0-for-3 on the day, with the worst at-bat coming against Dan Straily. Betts chased a fastball far out of the zone after taking two pitches for strikes that he usually crushes.
"Basically, what I'm doing is unacceptable," Betts said after the game.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox dropped to 6-11 on the year and have yet to find consistent production from their lineup or starting rotation.
"I'm not exactly sure what's going on," Betts said. "I just have to find a way to get some hits and get on base. I'm not really doing anything well right now. It sucks. Nothing really else to say but it sucks and I have to figure out a way to make something happen."
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As much as Betts has struggled to begin the year, the Red Sox aren't worried about their best player finding himself at the plate again.
"Mookie can turn it around in two seconds, he's just got to get some pitches over the plate and be ready for them," said Red Sox hitting coach Tim Hyers. "He's trying to do so well that I think sometimes he gets in his own way, trying to do too much with each pitch. That's when you see some balls pop up that he usually drives."
Betts isn't the only player in a funk. Only Andrew Benintendi, Xander Bogaerts, Mitch Moreland and J.D. Martinez are hitting over .250. Betts has been known to put too much pressure on himself, so it's possible he see himself as the one to get the team back on track.
"They all want to do it so badly for this city, team, organization, fanbase," Hyers said. "Sometimes that's the problem, they want it so bad they want to get three hits in one at-bat. It doesn't work that way."
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