Mookie Betts accuses Red Sox of 'no positivity' atmosphere during his time with Boston side as a teenager

To this day, Mookie Betts still has spent time with his former team, the Boston Red Sox than his current team, the LA Dodgers. 2025 will however be his sixth season in LA, matching the total he spent in Boston.

Betts will become a full-time shortstop this year. It's something the Red Sox, who have arguably been looking for a long-term shortstop for a long time, could've experienced. When Betts came up, he was originally a shortstop.

The slugger said via USA Today that Boston didn't really let him be a shortstop:

“I think I would have been really good, but I never had the opportunity," Betts said. "I couldn’t throw then either. Nobody told me how to throw then. And for myself, I didn’t think I could it either. There was no positivity instilled in me."

Betts also didn't see much of a point in fighting what the organization wanted since he was only 18 and the team was always going to tell him what to do. Ultimately, Betts learned and became a six-time Gold Glover in right field, but there's no telling what he could've been at shortstop, which is a more valuable defensive position than corner outfield.

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Dodgers stars have full faith in Mookie Betts

Mookie Betts will be a full-time shortstop for the first time in his MLB career. Last year, he only played a little over 500 innings, which is roughly 59 games, at the spot. This year, he's aiming for all of them.

Mookie Betts is moving to shortstop (Imagn)

It's a relatively new position, but his teammates aren't worried. Max Muncy, who'll share that side of the infield, is confident. He said via USA Today:

“Mookie is Mookie, he’s the best athlete I’ve ever seen. He looks great out there. He’s starting to look more natural. Mookie is just different. This kind of challenge is really fun for him.

"He really enjoys it. And when you look at how he approaches it, having so much fun trying to be as good as he can get, there’s no question in anyone's mind here that he’s going to be a very good defensive shortstop."

Even former teammate-turned-rival Xander Bogaerts of the San Diego Padres said there's nothing Betts can't do, including becoming a star shortstop.