We all knew that Mookie Betts could do it all on the field. While he’s mostly a right fielder by trade, the Los Angeles Dodgers star has shown the ability to play in the infield in a pinch. Now, though, Dave Roberts is testing the limits of Betts’ versatility. Ahead of their season opener, Roberts named Mookie Betts as their “permanent” starting shortstop.
How does Betts feel about this move? Well, at the very least, the Dodgers star is elated to return to his former position. Betts was drafted by the Boston Red Sox as a shortstop, but he hasn’t played the position in over a decade. The star seemed excited at the opportunity when he talked about it on his podcast with Dansby Swanson, per B/R Walkoff.
“When I was named the shortstop, that was super special. I hadn’t played shortstop… knowing I wasn’t going to play shortstop everyday since I was 18. I’m 31. That’s a long time to not play everyday shortstop. So this is a dream come true… that is probably one of the coolest things of my life, knowing I get to do the thing I haven’t done since I was 18 years old.”
The shortstop position is arguably one of the hardest positions in baseball to play, just behind the catcher position. Shortstops are excellent defenders: mobile enough to field the hits coming their way while having the arm to quickly throw to first. The Dodgers previously had a lot of talent at SS with Corey Seager and Trea Turner.
After the departures of both players, the Dodgers hoped that Gavin Lux would be able to take the reins as the everyday shortstop. While Lux showed off an excellent bat, he struggled to make routine throws that a SS would need to do. As a result, the team is asking Betts to return to his former position, instead moving Lux to the easier position of second base.
While Betts has experience from his younger days, there will surely be a steep learning curve for the Dodgers star in his new position. He certainly can do it… the only question is whether this will disrupt his offense at all.
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