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Dodgers' Dave Roberts Makes Mookie Betts Announcement

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sam Bernardi | Last updated Apr 29, 2025 12:55 PM ET

When the Los Angeles Dodgers put Mookie Betts at shortstop for a brief stint in 2023, there was no telling where the experiment might head.

An all-world right fielder for the Boston Red Sox, Betts had not seen time at the six since his 2013 A-ball days. However, the glaring hole on the Dodgers’ roster made the phenomenal athlete and team-first leader an easy candidate.

While Betts has struggled at times to adapt to the difficult defensive responsibilities at short, and his 32-year-old self may have lost a little bit of juice, he is still an effective defender.

Here is what manager Dave Roberts had to say to reporters on Betts at shortstop, via Doug McKain of Dodgers Nation:

“Last year, there was a lot of indecisiveness with reading hops and making throws from difficult arm angles. Now everything is more fluid,” Roberts said.

“I see him as a Major League shortstop,” Roberts added.

Betts has always had tremendous range, partially evidenced by his six Gold Gloves in right, of which he won five straight from 2016-2020. But his relatively weak arm has plagued him at times.

However, even with some deficiencies, the growing confidence is an encouraging development for Los Angeles. Betts has played all 26 of his games at short, making two errors but recording 29 putouts, 56 assists, and contributing to 14 double plays.

A deeper dive into his analytics shows signs of improvement, too. According to Baseball Savant, Betts tallied Fielding Run Values of -3 in 2023 and -2 in 2024. 2025, however, has seen him jump to +2. FRV is not the most straightforward metric, but it prioritizes Outs Above Average and Fielder Throwing Runs.

A positive FRV is considered good, and Betts may still have a ways to go before he reaches his defensive prowess from earlier in his career in the outfield, but he is certainly on the right path.

Betts could benefit from a lessened workload as he settles into the second half of his career, but there are no such plans for now.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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