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 2024 season) |
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| Batting average | .294 | |||||||||||||
| Hits | 1,615 | |||||||||||||
| Home runs | 271 | |||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 831 | |||||||||||||
| Stolen bases | 188 | |||||||||||||
| 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 famous American baseball player. He plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Major League Baseball (MLB). Before that, he played for the Boston Red Sox.
Mookie is a true baseball superstar! He has been chosen as an All-Star eight times. He has won the Silver Slugger Award seven times and the Gold Glove Award six times. He is also a three-time World Series champion. In 2018, he was named the Most Valuable Player in the American League.
The Red Sox picked Betts in the 2011 MLB draft. He made his big league debut in 2014. He played both second base and outfield at first. Later, he became the team's center fielder and then moved to right field. After six seasons with Boston, he joined the Dodgers in 2020. He signed a long contract with them until 2032.
Mookie Betts is known for his amazing skills. He is often compared to former Red Sox player Dustin Pedroia. In 2018, Betts made history. He was the first MLB player to win the MVP, Silver Slugger, Gold Glove, batting title, and World Series all in one season! He also won the World Series in 2020 and 2024 with the Dodgers.
Outside of baseball, Mookie Betts is also a professional bowler. He even bowled a perfect game in a big bowling competition in 2017.
Contents
Early Life and Talents
Growing Up in Nashville
Markus Lynn "Mookie" Betts was born on October 7, 1992. His hometown is Nashville, Tennessee. His parents chose his name so his initials would be MLB. This matches Major League Baseball! His nickname "Mookie" came from his parents. They were watching a basketball player named Mookie Blaylock when Betts was born.
When Mookie was very young, some Little League Baseball coaches did not want him on their teams. They thought he was too small. So, his mom started her own team just for him!
High School Sports Star
Mookie was a fantastic athlete at John Overton High School. In 2010, he was a junior. He hit really well in baseball, with a .548 batting average. He also stole 24 bases. He planned to play college baseball at the University of Tennessee.
Betts was also a great basketball player. He was named the MVP of his district league. He scored about 14 points per game. He also had 9 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals per game. He was even named the best Class AAA player in Nashville.
Mookie also loved bowling. In 2010, he was named the Tennessee Boys Bowler of the Year. His highest score was 290, which is almost a perfect game!
Mookie's Professional Baseball Journey
Starting in the Minor Leagues
The Boston Red Sox picked Mookie Betts in the fifth round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft. He was chosen as a second baseman. He decided not to go to college and signed a contract with the Red Sox.
In 2011, he played one game in a rookie league. In 2012, he played for the Lowell Spinners. He hit .267 and stole 20 bases. He played shortstop but felt more comfortable at second base.
Mookie started 2013 with the Greenville Drive. He hit .296 and had a 19-game hitting streak. He was chosen for the South Atlantic League All-Star Game. Later that year, he moved up to the Salem Red Sox. He hit even better, with a .341 average. Overall in 2013, 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 led the league with a .355 batting average. Then, he was promoted to the Pawtucket Red Sox. He hit .322 and reached base in all 23 games he played there. Mookie had an amazing streak of reaching base in 66 straight games. This showed how good he was at getting on base.
Boston Red Sox Years (2014–2019)
Rookie Season in 2014
Mookie Betts joined the Red Sox on June 28, 2014. He made his first MLB hit on June 29. He hit his first home run on July 2. He spent some time going back and forth between the minor leagues and the Red Sox.
On August 29, Betts hit his first grand slam. He was only 21 years old. This made him the youngest Red Sox player in 49 years to hit a grand slam. He played mostly in the outfield. But later in the season, he also played second base. He finished his rookie season hitting .291 with five home runs.
Becoming a Star in 2015
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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 incredible game. He made a leaping catch to stop a home run. He stole two bases on one play. And he hit a home run into the famous Monster seats.
Betts was named the AL Player of the Week in June. 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
In 2016, Mookie was chosen for his first MLB All-Star Game. He was the AL Player of the Month for July. He hit .368 with five home runs that month. On September 20, he became the first player to get 200 hits in the 2016 season.
Betts finished the season with a .318 batting average. 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 also won the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award for right field. He finished second in the AL MVP voting.
Another All-Star Year in 2017
Mookie had an amazing streak in 2016 and 2017. He had 129 times at bat without striking out! 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.
Betts ended the 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.
MVP and World Series Champion in 2018
In April 2018, people started comparing Betts to Mike Trout, one of the best players ever. On April 17, Betts 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, Betts led the league in many stats. He was hitting for a high average and hitting many home runs. On July 6, he hit his 100th career home run. He was only the fourth Red Sox player to do this before age 26. He was named an All-Star again. On August 9, he 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 the 2018 season with the best batting average in MLB, at .346. He also led the league with 129 runs scored. The Red Sox won 108 games and went on to win the World Series! After the season, Betts won his third straight Rawlings Gold Glove Award. 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 all in the same season.
Final Season in Boston (2019)
In 2019, Betts started batting second in the lineup. But by June, he was back to batting first. On July 26, he had his fifth three-homer game.
For the season, Betts played in 150 games. He hit .295 with 29 home runs and 80 RBIs. He led all of MLB with 135 runs scored. He also had great defense in right field. He won his fourth straight Gold Glove and his third Silver Slugger award.
Los Angeles Dodgers Years (2020–Present)
Joining the Dodgers and Winning 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 huge 12-year contract. It was worth $365 million! This was the biggest contract in Dodgers history.
The 2020 season was shorter because of 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 again. This was his sixth time doing that in his career! Only two other players in MLB history have done this. On August 27, 2020, he got his 1,000th career MLB hit.
Betts finished the 2020 season 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 hit a home run in the final game. He became only the second player to hit home runs in World Series-clinching games for two different teams. After the season, he won his fifth straight Gold Glove and his fourth Silver Slugger. He finished second in the NL MVP voting.
All-Star Again 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, hitting .264 with 23 home runs. In the playoffs, he hit very well in some games.
More Home Runs in 2022
In July 2022, Betts 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, hitting .269. He hit a career-high 35 home runs and had 82 RBIs. He also tied for the league lead with 117 runs scored. He won his fifth Silver Slugger award.
Playing Many Positions in 2023
In 2023, Mookie showed how versatile he is. He played a lot at second base. He even played shortstop for the first time in his career!
Fans voted him as a National League starter for the 2023 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. On August 7, 2023, Betts hit his fifth career grand slam as a lead-off batter. This tied a Major League record!
He played 107 games in the outfield, 70 games at second base, and 16 games at shortstop. He had a .307 batting average with a career-high 39 home runs and 107 RBIs. He won his sixth Silver Slugger award.
Third World Series Title in 2024
At the start of 2024, the Dodgers planned for Betts to be their full-time second baseman. But then they changed the plan. On March 8, it was announced that Betts would become the Dodgers' starting shortstop! On June 16, he broke his left hand when a fastball hit him. He had to miss some time.
He came back on August 12. The Dodgers said he would play right field for the rest of the season. He played in 116 games, hitting .289 with 9 home runs and 75 RBIs.
In the playoffs, Betts hit home runs in two straight games against the Padres. In the 2024 NLCS against the Mets, he had two home runs and nine RBIs. He then helped the Dodgers win the 2024 World Series against the Yankees! He had a key hit and a sacrifice fly in the final game. This was Mookie's third World Series championship! He also won his seventh Silver Slugger award.
Beyond Baseball
Film Work
In 2022, Betts signed a deal to help make movies. He helped produce a film about the life of Jackie Robinson. Jackie Robinson was a very important baseball player. The film is called Jackie Robinson: Get to the Bag.
Family and Interests
Terry Shumpert, who played in MLB for many years, is Mookie's cousin. Terry helped Mookie a lot when he was young. Mookie Betts is also a distant cousin of Meghan (Markle), Duchess of Sussex.
Mookie Betts and his longtime girlfriend, Brianna Hammonds, started dating in high school. They had a daughter in 2018. They got engaged in 2021 and married on December 1, 2021. They have homes in Tennessee and California.
When he played for the Red Sox, Mookie was known for his necklaces. One was a gift from a 13-year-old fan. He kept wearing it even after joining the Dodgers. He won two World Series while wearing that necklace!
See also
In Spanish: Mookie Betts para niños
