Most of the recent news surrounding Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts has been about an undiagnosed stomach illness that has caused him to lose 23 pounds and forced him to miss the two-game Tokyo Series against the Chicago Cubs in Japan.
The longer story for Betts’s offseason has been his defensive shift from playing right field to shortstop. At 32 years old, Mookie Betts is determined to demonstrate his capabilities as a star shortstop on a World Series-winning team. “This is not like a vengeance tour,” the former right fielder explained to USA TODAY Sports. “It’s about proving a lot of people wrong. But more than anything, it’s about proving myself right. So many years, I just didn’t believe in myself.”
Betts’ impressive resume includes eight All-Star appearances as a right fielder, six Gold Glove awards, seven Silver Slugger awards, an MVP title, and a batting championship. However, his most cherished accomplishment remains his three World Series championships.
Betts is well aware of his history at the shortstop position. He developed his skills as a shortstop throughout his youth and was drafted by the Boston Red Sox with the intention of playing him at shortstop. However, his professional career took a different path, as he did not complete a full season at shortstop with the Red Sox. The team eventually transitioned him to second base, and ultimately, to right field, where he became a star.
Mookie Betts Looking More Comfortable At Shortstop For Los Angeles Dodgers
But according to Dodgers insider Sonja Chen, Betts is looking more the part of a major league shortstop.
“Betts’ season debut was delayed due to an illness that forced him to miss the two-game Tokyo Series,” Chen writes. “But during Spring Training, it certainly looked like his offseason work in preparation for a planned permanent move to shortstop paid off. Betts looked much more comfortable at the position than he did last year, especially with making throws. Now comes the real test in regular-season games.”
Betts’ transition to shortstop last season was a learning experience, one he openly discussed. While he demonstrated impressive range and natural fielding instincts, his throwing accuracy proved to be a significant challenge. Notably, eight of his nine errors in 531 1/3 innings at shortstop were attributed to throwing miscues.