"He’s gonna prove a lot of people wrong" - Dodgers' Dino Ebel confident of Mookie Betts' Gold Glove-caliber season at second base

The management of the Los Angeles Dodgers has assigned All-Star Mookie Betts a new position. Heading into the 2024 season, Betts will be the Dodgers' everyday second baseman, according to reports.

Betts, 31, played in multiple positions - right field, shortstop, and second base for the Dodgers last year. His versatility in both infield and outfield makes him a highly flexible player to adjust in the lineup.

In an interview with Sportsnet LA, Dodgers' third base coach, Dino Ebel, expressed confidence in Betts as the perfect candidate for the position.

“I know he’s happy, he wants to play second... So if you get a Mookie Betts that is determined to show everybody that he can be the everyday second baseman, he’s gonna prove a lot of people wrong,” Ebel said.

Betts has already earned six golden gloves, two of them with the Dodgers, and Ebel is optimistic about him winning one more next season.

“He’ll end up winning Gold… No doubt about it. That’s how I feel,” he added.

The Dodgers' decision to assign Betts to second base may have been influenced by Teoscar Hernandez's arrival in Los Angeles on a one-year deal worth $23.5 million. The Dodgers' GM, Brandon Gomes, made it clear in a press conference that the team envisioned Hernandez as an everyday outfielder.

“Our assumption and what we’re planning on is Teo being an everyday guy… It could look different versus right, versus left. But we certainly view Teo as an everyday outfielder for us,” Gomes said (h/t Dodgers Nation).

Nonetheless, Betts will have a new assignment to do in 2024. Considering their recent trades and signings, the Dodgers' decision to assign Betts to second base might work well.

What will be Mookie Betts' role in Dodgers' World Series pursuit?

Mookie Betts has been playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers for four seasons now. In 2023, he had a batting average of .307 with 107 RBIs and 39 home runs. Despite getting an All-Star nod and Silver Slugger, he failed to lead the Dodgers in the postseason.

However, this year is different. The Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani, a 2x unanimous MVP, with a 10-year, $700 million deal. They also recruited Teoscar Hernandez, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Tyler Glasnow to support Betts further.

With the addition of these players, he will have less pressure to lead the team, can focus on his own game, perform at the top level with fellow MVPs Freddie Freeman and Ohtani, and lead the team to the World Series.