"Honored and blessed" - Mookie Betts fulfills childhood dream with first All-Star selection as shortstop in his 8th Midsummer Classic appearance

Prior to 2023, Mookie Betts had not started a game at shortstop since his days at Overton High School in Tennessee. However, due to his brilliance at the position since adopting it earlier this season, the former MVP recently got a major endorsement for his play.

On Sunday, it was announced that Betts had been selected as one of six Dodgers for the July 16 MLB All-Star game in Arlington, Texas. Although a fractured wrist will prevent the 31-year-old from taking to the field, he was no less moved by the honor bestowed upon him.

After playing 65 games at shortstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers this season, Betts was selected at the position. In a story on Instagram, Betts shared a graphic of the All-Star selections from his team, and proceeded to claim that he was "honored and blessed."

Mookie Betts reacts to being named an MLB All-Star shortstop for the first time (Instagram/mookiebetts)

The winner of the 2018 AL MVP Award as a member of the Boston Red Sox, Betts was used exclusively in an outfield capacity before coming to the Dodgers in 2020. Although it was then that Mookie Betts began to play the odd game at second base, he remained a regular outfielder.

In the early stages of the 2024 season, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts slotted Betts into shortstop in lieu of the struggling Gavin Lux. Betts proceeded to embrace the shortstop position and registered a .963 fielding percentage in 531 innings at a position that he had not played since his amateur days.

Although Betts will not be in attendance, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernandez, Will Smith, Tyler Glasnow, and Shohei Ohtani will be representing Dodger Blue at the Midsummer Classic.

Mookie Betts appears set to move away from shortstop upon return

Having fractured his wrist during a game against the Kansas City Royals on June 16, Betts is still about a month away from a return to action. However, as Bob Nightengale recently wrote for USA Today, it looks like Betts' days at shortstop may be numbered:

"It certainly appears that Mookie Betts will be moving back to second base, or even right field, when he returns in August from the injured list with his broken hand," Nightengale said.

Regardless of what Betts' future as a shortstop looks like, there can be no doubt that his mammoth contributions and versatility for his team have not gone unnoticed.