Mesa, Arizona – Mookie Betts lowered his eyes and paused temporarily while searching for the proper arrangement of words, and wanted to make sure the Los Angeles Dodgers visit the clubhouse to make sure his claims are clear I was thinking about it.
“This is not like a vengeance tour,” Betts told USA Today Sports.
“For many years, I didn’t believe in myself.”
Betts is an eight-time All-Star right fielder. 6 Gold Glove winners. 7 Silver Slugger. MVP winner. He is a batting champion. Most important to Betts, he is a three-time World Series champion.
That’s not enough.
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The 32-year-old Betts wants to show the world that he can become a shortstop for the World Series champion star.
“I don’t know why he wants to do that,” such an outfielder.
Betts knows all of this. He grew up as a shortstop. He was drafted as a short stop by the Boston Red Sox. He also didn’t continue his full season as a professional short stop, with the Red Sox moving him to 2 base and eventually moving to the right field.
“I’m really glad,” Betts says. Either.
“There was no positivity planted in me.”
Couldn’t he fight it?
“I’m 18,” he said sharply.
Eleven years after taking on his major league debut, Betts is ready to show that he can become the shortstop he’s always imagined.
“When I was moved to the right field, I trusted myself and got pretty good there,” Betts said.
“And I’m going to make the most of it.”
And this time, unlike his teenager, he not only believes he can do it, but he also believes in the entire organization.
“Mookie is Mookie. He is the best athlete I’ve ever seen,” says Dodgers’ three-base handed Max Muncie.
“Mookie is just different. This kind of challenge is really fun for him. He really enjoys it. And seeing how he approaches it, he can get. There’s no question that he’s going to be just as good and doing something so much fun he’s going to be a very good defensive shortstop.”
“I don’t know anything he can’t do.”
It was a year ago that Betts came to camp as his second baseman and abandoned the correct field, but three weeks after spring training, Gavin Lux, the shortstop, struggled badly. Betts was moved to a short stop. The position, which had not played in Class A since 2012, played 65 games on short stops, was defensively unstable with nine errors, broken wrists and returned to the right field when he returned. It’s here.
He sometimes looked uncomfortable. He struggled with his footwork. He made the necessary play, but eight of his errors were thrown. He was improving, but it was slow.
This time he came to camp where he was ready to become shortstop for the star. He was dedicated to transitioning winter. He spent three days visiting former Gold Glove Shortstop Troitrowitzki in Texas, where he served as an assistant coach at the University of Texas. He went to Arizona and worked with Dodgers coach Chris Woodward in arm slots and defensive angles. And he grabbed the ground ball almost every day at a local high school near his Los Angeles home.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he appears to be “the two levels have improved.”
“If you say this, you know nothing he can’t,” said San Diego Padres Shortstop Xander Bogartz and his former teammate, Red Sox. “This guy is an athlete. He can play basketball.
“He would have been a great two-base for us, but Dustin Pedroia was there. So he went to the epic correct field. I had the itch he always came back to the infield. I think so.”
Betts spoke with Dodgers GM Brandon Gomez and Andrew Friedman, president of the Dodgers, Roberts Dodgers. He insisted he wanted to give it a try again. The Dodgers encouraged him and as Betts returned to shortstop, they signed outfielder Michael Comfort and released the spot to revive Tescal Hernandez.
Betts arrived two weeks before most of his teammates and worked defensively with Muncie and backup shortstop Migel Rojas. There is never a day when Betts is not seeking advice from Rojas or Rojas is not offering guidance.
The two recently spoke for nearly 10 minutes after a spring training game with the Cubs, talking about footwork, throwing, and Rojas told him to finish the conversation and calling Betts to call him day and night. The location is.
“I think he is one of the top 10 shortstops in the game for the bat,” Rojas said. .
“He wants to be one of the best players in the world. What he’s doing is amazing.”
When Betts pulled this off, he became the 22nd player since 1900, playing at least 100 games on right field and shortstop, further elevating Cooperstown’s legacy.
“Mookie wants to be the best player in baseball,” Roberts said.
“If you play shortstop with his bat, it gives him a better chance.”
“The Most Selfless Superstar”
Betts has already achieved one of the biggest collections of awards and honors in history, but considering that he went to the All-Star team as shortstop for 12 years without playing positions until last season, It’s historical.
“You can mean anything you mean that,” Betts said. Now when I’m older I can see it, but what I really want is the reason I play.
“So if that means I have to go to the left field one day, I’ll go to the left. If I need to go to the second, I’ll go to the second. I’m 32 years old. I believe in myself wherever I go.”
If the Dodgers change gears and decide that Betts is better to play second base or the correct field, Betts doesn’t complain.
“The beauty of Mookie,” Friedman said, “He’s the most selfless superstar we’ve ever been.”
If Betts has the druthers, he is now playing not only shortstop but also during his career. Derek Jeter was 40 years old and still played shortstop, so why didn’t he bet? He was preparing his body for short stop requests, not just in 2025, but far beyond.
“Yeah, yeah,” says Betts. “I believe that I’m only getting better and better. I trust myself.”
And now, 14 years after it was drafted as a short stop for Overton High School in Nashville, so are all others.
“I feel very prepared right now,” Betts says. “I can go home and sleep and don’t stare at the video all day trying to understand things. I’m giving it all, so I’m my job to get my job coming in my way because my job comes my way. I can put my head down at night knowing that I’m preparing me.
“I know I can do this, I really do.
“I’m excited to prove people wrong.”
once again.
X: Follow NightEngale at @BignyEngale
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