Marcus Betts
United StatesMookie Betts is a professional baseball player in the MLB. He bats and throws with his right hand. Betts stands 5 feet and 9 inches tall and as of the 2021 season, he plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers. As of the July 2021 statistic, Betts has a batting average of 0.297 and he has had 1,096 hits and more than 160 home runs throughout his career.
Betts was born Marcus Lynn Betts on October 7, 1992. He has stated that his initials were intended by his parents to spell MLB. The nickname ‘Mookie’ is attributed to former NBA player Mookie Blaylock. He started playing baseball young and he has stated that his mother was his first Little League coach. Betts attended John Overton for high school. In his junior year, he was approached by and committed to attend the University of Tennessee. Other schools that expressed interest in him included Vanderbilt, the University of Alabama in Birmingham, and Mississippi State.
He rescinded his commitment to attend the University of Tennessee when he was drafted by the Boston Red Sox during the 2011 Major League Baseball Draft. He was the 172nd overall pick. He started his career by playing for the GCL Red Sox. As a rookie, he also played for the Greenville Drive, the Lowell Spinners, and the Salem Red Sox to name a few. In 2014, he was promoted to the Red Sox. During his career with the Red Sox, Betts set several records. In 2018, he was named All-Star MVP. He also received a number of other awards that year, including AL Batt Champion and the Heart and Hustle Award.
In 2020, he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, He signed a 12-year contract with the Dodgers worth $365 million. He also signed with a $65 million signing bonus, effectively making it the richest contract for the Dodgers. He signed to play for the Dodgers through to 2032. The 2020 season was shortened because of COVID restrictions and Betts ended it winning his fifth Golden Glove. He also received a Silver Slugger, his fourth. In 2021, he was named to the National League All-Star Team. This will be his first appearance while under contract with the Dodgers.
Awards and Career Highlights
- 2016 Defensive Player of the Year
- 2016 - 2019, 2021 All-Star
- 2018 Heart and Hustle Award
- 2018 AL Batting Champion
- 2018 30-30 Club
- 2018, 2020 World Series Champion
- 2018 AL MVP
- 2019 All-MLB Second Team
- 2020 All-MLB First Team
- 2016, 2018-2020 Silver Slugger Award
- 2016-2020 Gold Glove Award
- 2020 National League All-Star Team