times and think that what progression you made is null and void.

“I was trying to swing harder with my upper body instead of still using the ground and just understanding that at 160 pounds I’m not going to be able to use the ground the same way I do at 180, 175.”

Van Scoyoc described it as “staying connected, making sure his hips initiate his swing.”

All of that is the typical under-the-hood work a slumping player does. Betts is not a typical player. He is a former league MVP with a batting title, six Gold Gloves and seven Silver Slugger awards on a Hall of Fame track at age 32.

Those accomplishments do not insulate him from wondering if the first two months of this season were not just a slump but a sign that he could no longer do what he had before.

“Yeah, definitely there’s doubt,” he said. “The game is moving. The game is moving and if you don’t keep moving with it you’ll get left behind. Look, man, I’ve never been the fastest on the field, I’ve never been the biggest on the field, I’ve never been the strongest on the field. I am literally average across the board in all facets of the game. I have to rely on a lot of things in my process to be perfect. That’s just the way it is.

“I don’t have a superpower to fall back on. I’m not those guys. I don’t have those things to fall back on. So it really has to be right, my process has to be right. You might say, ‘Oh, your hand-eye coordination.’ Everybody’s hand-eye coordination here is good, elite at this level. That doesn’t set you apart. It’s got to be something. So I feel like mine is my process and my hard work. That’s really the only thing I can control. I can’t make myself bigger or stronger or all those other things.”

Van Scoyoc almost rolls his eyes when told of Betts’ estimate of his skill set.

“He might sell himself short on the list of superpowers,” Van Scoyoc said. “He’s not the biggest guy but he makes contact, he’s efficient, he hits the ball at good angles. There’s a lot of things he does really, really good. I think he might be selling himself a bit short.

“I think he just got behind the 8-ball early with the sickness. He’s really hard on himself when he’s not performing, which makes it harder. I think he’s just working through it and heating up.”

If hard work truly is his superpower, Betts has put it to use in making the switch to shortstop this season. The focus and energy he has put into that has allowed him to make himself into “a major league shortstop on a championship club,” by manager Dave Roberts’ recent estimate. All involved dismissed the idea that it has also drained away some of his offensive production.

Whether it is the adjustments he made during his downtime or just the downtime itself, Betts said he has more “clarity” when he steps up to the plate now.

“I definitely feel like I’m in a better spot,” he said, his average now up to .269 and his OPS at .766 (both would still represent career lows). “It’s just continuing to stack positive days. When you do go 0 for 4 or whatever or hit a little rut, it’s important that I believe in my process and keep stacking good days.”