Mookie Betts facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mookie Betts |
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Betts with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024
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| Los Angeles Dodgers – No. 50 | ||||||||||||||
| Outfielder / Shortstop / Second baseman | ||||||||||||||
| Born: October 7, 1992 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
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| debut | ||||||||||||||
| June 29, 2014, for the Boston Red Sox | ||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics (through July 20, 2025) |
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| Batting average | .291 | |||||||||||||
| Hits | 1,701 | |||||||||||||
| Home runs | 282 | |||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 876 | |||||||||||||
| Stolen bases | 194 | |||||||||||||
| Teams | ||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Markus Lynn "Mookie" Betts (born October 7, 1992) is a professional baseball player. He plays as an outfielder, shortstop, and second baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Before joining the Dodgers, he played for the Boston Red Sox.
Mookie Betts is one of the best players in Major League Baseball (MLB). He has been an All-Star eight times. He has also won the Silver Slugger Award seven times and the Gold Glove Award six times. Betts is a three-time World Series champion. In 2018, he was named the Most Valuable Player in the American League.
Betts was first chosen by the Red Sox in the 2011 MLB draft. He started playing in MLB in 2014. He played for six seasons with Boston. In 2020, he was traded to the Dodgers. He then signed a long contract with them.
In 2018, Betts made history. He became the first MLB player to win the MVP, Silver Slugger, Gold Glove, batting title, and World Series all in the same year. He also won the World Series in 2020 and 2024 with the Dodgers. Many people think Betts is one of the greatest baseball players ever.
Outside of baseball, Betts is a professional bowler. He even bowled a perfect game in 2017. He also has a baseball podcast called On Base.
Contents
Early Life and Talents
Markus Lynn "Mookie" Betts was born on October 7, 1992. His hometown is Nashville, Tennessee. His parents chose his name so his initials, MLB, would match Major League Baseball. His nickname "Mookie" came from his parents watching a basketball player named Mookie Blaylock.
When Mookie was young, some Little League Baseball coaches thought he was too small. So, his mom started her own team just for him to play.
In high school, Mookie was great at baseball. In 2010, he hit .548 and stole 24 bases. He also signed up to play baseball at the University of Tennessee.
Betts was also a star basketball player. He was named MVP of his district league in his senior year. He averaged 14.1 points, nine assists, four rebounds, and three steals per game. Mookie was also very good at bowling. He was named the Tennessee Boys Bowler of the Year in 2010. His highest score was 290.
Professional Baseball Journey
Starting in the Minor Leagues
The Boston Red Sox picked Betts in the fifth round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft. He was the 172nd player chosen. He decided not to go to college and signed a contract with the Red Sox.
In 2011, Betts played one game in the rookie league. In 2012, he played 71 games for the Lowell Spinners. He hit .267 and stole 20 bases. He played shortstop but felt more comfortable at second base.
Betts started 2013 with the Greenville Drive. He hit .296 in 76 games. He had a 19-game hitting streak. He was then moved up to the Salem Red Sox. There, he hit .341 in 51 games. For the whole 2013 season, he hit .314 with 15 home runs and 38 stolen bases. He was named the best offensive player in the Red Sox minor league system.
In 2014, Betts started with the Portland Sea Dogs. He hit .355 in 54 games. Then, he was promoted to the Pawtucket Red Sox. He hit .322 there. In 2013 and 2014, Betts reached base in 66 straight regular-season games. This was a very impressive streak.
Around mid-2014, Betts started playing in the outfield. This was in addition to playing second base. The Red Sox had a great second baseman, Dustin Pedroia. So, they thought Betts might play a new position.
Boston Red Sox (2014–2019)
Rookie Season in 2014
Betts joined the Red Sox on June 28, 2014. He got his first MLB hit on June 29. He hit his first home run on July 2. On August 29, Betts hit his first grand slam. He was the youngest Red Sox player to do this in 49 years.
Betts played in 52 major league games in 2014. He hit .291 with five home runs. He played most of his innings in center field.
Moving to Right Field in 2015
On Opening Day in 2015, Betts hit a home run. He was one of the youngest Red Sox players to do so. On April 13, he had an amazing game. He made a leaping catch to stop a home run. He stole two bases on one play. He also hit a home run into the Green Monster seats.
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Betts was named the AL Player of the Week in June 2015. He hit .581 that week. He ended the 2015 season hitting .291. He scored 92 runs, had 77 RBIs, 18 home runs, and 21 stolen bases.
First All-Star Game in 2016
Betts was chosen for his first MLB All-Star Game in 2016. He started in right field. He was also named the AL Player of the Month for July. He hit .368 with five home runs that month.
On September 20, Betts was the first player to get 200 hits in 2016. He finished the season hitting .318. He had 214 hits, 122 runs, 31 home runs, and 113 RBIs. He led MLB with 359 total bases.
The Red Sox won their division. Betts won the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award for right field. He was also a finalist for the American League MVP Award. He finished second in the voting.
Second All-Star Game in 2017
Before the 2017 season, Betts' salary was raised to $950,000. On July 2, 2017, he tied an MLB record. He had eight RBIs from the leadoff spot in a game. He was chosen for his second American League All-Star Game that same day.
Betts finished the 2017 season hitting .264. He scored 101 runs, stole 26 bases, hit 24 home runs, and had 102 RBIs. He won his second straight Gold Glove Award.
AL MVP and World Series Champion in 2018
In 2018, Betts' salary was set at $10.5 million. On April 17, he hit three home runs in a game. This tied a Red Sox record. He broke that record on May 2, hitting three more home runs. He was the first MLB player to have four three-homer games before turning 26.
By May 21, Betts led MLB with 15 home runs. He also led in batting average and other stats. On July 6, he hit his 100th career home run. He was the fourth Red Sox player to do this before age 26. On July 8, he was named an All-Star starter.
On August 9, Betts hit for the cycle. This means he hit a single, double, triple, and home run in one game. On September 26, he stole his 30th base. This made him only the second Red Sox player to join the 30–30 club (30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in one season).
Betts finished 2018 leading MLB with a .346 batting average. He also led with a .640 slugging percentage and 129 runs scored. He had the best fielding percentage among right fielders. The Red Sox won 108 games and then won the World Series.
After the season, Betts won his third straight Gold Glove. On November 15, he was named the American League MVP. He was the only player in AL history to win the World Series, a Gold Glove, a Silver Slugger, and the AL MVP in the same season.
Last Year in Boston in 2019
Betts' salary for 2019 was $20 million. He was selected as an All-Star reserve. On July 26, Betts had his fifth three-homer game.
In 2019, Betts played in 150 games. He hit .295 with 135 runs (leading MLB), 29 home runs, 80 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases. He had the best fielding percentage among right fielders. He won his fourth straight Gold Glove and his third Silver Slugger.
Los Angeles Dodgers (2020–present)
Second World Series Championship in 2020
On February 10, 2020, the Red Sox traded Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers. On July 22, the Dodgers signed Betts to a 12-year contract. The deal was worth $365 million. It was the richest contract in Dodgers history.
The 2020 season was shorter due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On July 23, Betts made his Dodgers debut. On July 31, he hit his first home run as a Dodger. On August 13, Betts hit three home runs. This was his sixth three-homer game, tying an MLB record. On August 27, 2020, he reached 1,000 career MLB hits.
Betts finished 2020 hitting .292 with 16 home runs and 39 RBIs. He helped the Dodgers win the World Series. He made three amazing defensive plays in the playoffs. In the World Series, he scored twice and hit a home run in the final game. He became only the second player to hit a home run in World Series clinchers for different teams.
After the season, Betts won his fifth straight Gold Glove. He also won his fourth Silver Slugger. He finished second in the NL MVP voting.
Fifth All-Star Game in 2021
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Betts was chosen for the National League All-Star Team. This was his first All-Star appearance with the Dodgers. He played in 122 games. He hit .264 with 23 home runs and 58 RBIs.
Sixth All-Star Game in 2022
In June 2022, Betts hurt his rib. On July 23, he hit his 200th career home run. He was chosen as a starting outfielder for the National League All-Star Team. This was his sixth All-Star game.
He played in 142 games in 2022. He hit .269 with a career-high 35 home runs and 82 RBIs. He tied for the league lead with 117 runs scored. He finished fifth in voting for the National League MVP award. He won his fifth Silver Slugger award.
Seventh All-Star Game in 2023
In 2023, Betts showed how versatile he is. He played a lot at second base. He also played shortstop for the first time in his career.
Fans voted Betts as a National League starter for the 2023 All-Star Game. On August 7, 2023, Betts hit his fifth career grand slam as a leadoff batter. This tied an MLB record.
Betts played in 107 games in the outfield, 70 games at second base, and 16 games at shortstop. He hit .307 with a career-high 39 home runs and 107 RBIs. He won his sixth Silver Slugger award.
Third World Series Championship in 2024
At the start of 2024, the Dodgers planned for Betts to be their full-time second baseman. But this changed, and he became the starting shortstop instead. On June 16, Betts broke his left hand after being hit by a fastball. He returned from injury on August 12. The Dodgers announced he would play right field for the rest of the season. He played in 116 games, hitting .289 with 19 home runs and 75 RBIs.
Betts hit home runs in two playoff games against the San Diego Padres. In the 2024 NLCS against the New York Mets, Betts had two home runs and nine RBIs. He hit .346 in that series. He then hit .278 in the 2024 World Series against the New York Yankees. He made key plays in the final game, helping the Dodgers win their third World Series championship with him. He won his seventh Silver Slugger award, this time as a utility player.
2025 Season
For the 2025 season, the Dodgers and Betts decided he would play shortstop full-time.
Personal Life
Terry Shumpert, who played in MLB for 14 seasons, is a cousin of Betts' mother. This makes them distant relatives. Betts is also a distant cousin of Meghan (Markle), Duchess of Sussex.
Betts and his longtime girlfriend, Brianna Hammonds, started dating in high school. They had a daughter in November 2018. They got engaged in January 2021 and married on December 1, 2021. They have homes in Franklin, Tennessee and Encino, Los Angeles.
When he played for the Red Sox, Betts was known for his necklaces. One was a gift from a 13-year-old fan. He kept wearing it even after joining the Dodgers.
Images for kids
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Betts with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024
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Betts playing for the Pawtucket Red Sox in 2014
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Betts makes a leaping catch to deprive Bryce Harper (off-field) of a home run on April 13, 2015.
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Betts prior to a game at Camden Yards in May 2016
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Betts with the Red Sox in August 2018
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Betts at the White House in 2021 with the 2020 World Series championship Dodgers team
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Betts at the White House in 2025 with the 2024 World Series championship Dodgers team.
See also
In Spanish: Mookie Betts para niños
