Mookie Betts gets honest about pursuing feat potentially rarer than Shohei Ohtani's two-way stardom

Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts is a versatile player who has played as an outfielder, second baseman and shortstop. Since making his MLB debut in 2014 with the Boston Red Sox, he has built an impressive resume.

Betts is a three-time World Series champion, most recently winning the 2024 World Series with the Dodgers alongside Japanese two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani.

On MLB Network, Betts was asked about the possibility of him making history by winning a Gold Glove at shortstop, something Ohtani might not accomplish. The interviewer asked him:

“Everyone is in love with what Shohei Otani is doing, and I'm on board with it. But we might see a two-way player again. I don't think we will ever see, if you were able to win a gold glove as short, what you've done in the outfield in your 30s, do it at shortstop. What do you think of that? The history you can make.”

Having won six Gold Glove Awards as an outfielder, he responded:

“That would be amazing. That would be something that I don't know. Let's find out. Let's find out, and we'll see. We'll have this conversation again on air, and I'll have a better answer for you.”

Shifting from the outfield to the infield is no easy task for a baseball player, let alone winning a Gold Glove at both positions. The only player to achieve this feat is Darin Erstad, who won a Gold Glove Award for his performance in the outfield and also excelled at first base.

Mookie Betts made his first appearance at shortstop in 2023 with the Dodgers and also played the position last season, delivering a solid performance.

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Mookie Betts set to enter the 2025 season as a shortstop for the Dodgers

During the Winter Meetings, Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes announced that Mookie Betts will get the opportunity to play shortstop in 2025 (via MLB.com):

"He's ready for the challenge. He feels like, with a full offseason, he can go and tackle that. Like we've said before, he's one of the guys that I certainly wouldn't bet against."

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts also addressed the situation (via MLB.com):

“Right now, as the roster is kind of where it’s at, [it] continues to give us a lot of flexibility. It’s an easy bet to bet on him with the full offseason. … Obviously, there’s some things that can change, but all the confidence in Mookie.”

Mookie Betts finished the 2024 season playing 116 games, recording a .289 batting average, hitting 19 home runs, driving in 75 RBIs and drawing 61 walks.