Mookie Betts gets honest about his pursuit of Derek Jeter, Tom Brady, and Bill Russell’s historic achievements

Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts is eager to add to his World Series title from last year and seeking to add his name among all-time sporting greats like Derek Jeter, Tom Brady and Bill Russell. The 32-year-old former MVP is coming off a strong MLB season where he added a third World Series title under his belt.

Despite missing the 2025 Tokyo Series due to illness, Betts is hoping to have another successful season with the Dodgers in his quest to cement his legacy. Betts started his MLB career with the Boston Red Sox and got his first taste of success in 2018, bagging the NL MVP award while winning his first World Series.

After moving to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020, he has added two more championship titles under his belt, already making him one of the best players baseball has ever seen.

As he prepares to start the 2025 season, Mookie Betts is looking to cement his legacy as one of the greatest sportsmen the country has ever seen. As a fan of all sports, the Dodgers star is looking to emulate players like Jeter, Brady and Russell, as he says on the "Underdog MLB" podcast: (12:21 - 13:50)

"Yeah, I'm trying to. I think those are names that go across the board like Bill Russell having ten rings and all, those type of things. Those are legacy cementers, you know. I think championships and obviously personal accolades are really cool and neat, that's one part of something that we enjoy waking up every day to do but I think the rings is one thing that you can't really argue with.

"As many as I can. You know the front office brought in a lot of help obviously, which goes a long way. That's one reason I love being a Dodgers, just because we compete every year. I don't think there's a real end in sight for me. You try and win as long as you can play."

Derek Jeter won five World Series championships during his playing career with the Yankees. Tom Brady has seven Super Bowl titles to his name while Bill Russell was part of a Celtics dynasty that won eleven NBA championships. While Mookie Betts is on a similar trajectory, he needs a strong finish to his career.

Mike Trout names Mookie Betts among the top 3 players in the MLB right now

Los Angeles Angels veteran Mike Trout is preparing for his 15th season in the MLB this year and remains one of the most respected players in the game. Ahead of Opening Day, Trout spoke to MLB Network's Mike Rodriguez earlier this week and named his top three favorite players in the game right now, with Mookie Betts taking the top spot:

"I'm going to go Mookie, Judge and Harper."

Among pitchers throughout the course of his career, Trout names Max Scherzer, Felix Hernandez and Justin Verlander as the toughest he has faced over the years.