Superstar Mookie Betts found a way to elevate his Hall of Fame talent and become the best version of himself. More impressively, it's happening while he's entering the second half of his career. Mookie has long been a force in this game, but your jaw will drop when you take a deep dive into his dominance. Shall we?
Mook is one of the more decorated players of his generation, having won two World Series, an MVP award, and even a batting title. His collection also includes six Gold Gloves, six Silver Sluggers, and seven All-Star appearances. And by the looks of it, he's ready to add on.
Betts, 31, is currently batting .352 with a 1.093 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. That damage comes from 31 hits, which is 2nd most in MLB. He's walking more than he's striking out (17 walks, 14 strikeouts), and his 22 runs scored are the most in the league.
This guy is raking.
Image by From The Dish
But just how perfect is his swing right now? He's so locked in that he has more home runs (6) than swings and misses on pitches in the zone (4). His 16.2% walk rate is a testament to his patience and excellent pitch recognition. Only Juan Soto has more walks than Mookie.
And if you still need convincing of his prowess, on Tuesday night, he went 5-for-5 with two doubles and two runs batted in.
He's transitioning to a full-time shortstop after playing primarily in right field for most of his career. Last year, the Dodgers also played him at second base. Mookie's diligence and dedication to his craft keep him in front of his peers.
In fact, teammates and coaches constantly rave about his work ethic. Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel told the LA Times, "I swear, I've never seen anything like this in my entire career, how much work he puts in and how much he's getting out of it." He continued by saying, "This guy to me is the Michael Jordan, the Kobe Bryant of baseball because he’s obsessed with getting this done. He wants to not just prove everybody wrong but to himself that he can play that position."
"It's fun to watch," teammate Max Muncy said. And I agree with Muncy. How often do you see a Gold Glove-caliber player move from the corner outfield to the middle infield, especially at this career stage? Betts is still a work in progress defensively, but to play at a top-ten defensive runs-saved level with only a couple of months of experience is impressive.
Mookie has long been a winner on a Hall of Fame trajectory, but he's further solidifying himself as arguably the greatest position player of his generation, next to Mike Trout. Betts' Dodgers should have no problem remaining a perennial contender, which can only add more fuel to their superstars' raging fire to be the best.
At 5'9", 180 pounds, Mookie may not be the most physically gifted player on the field, but when he steps in the batter's box, there's no one more gifted with a bat right now. It's not a coincidence that his initials are MLB.
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