Mookie Betts moved from right field to shortstop for the 2025 season after winning six Gold Gloves in right field. He ranked tied for second among shortstops in Defensive Runs Saved and was tied for 10th in Outs Above Average, marking him as an above-average Major League shortstop. Some within the Dodgers organization were initially skeptical, but Betts expressed confidence in his own abilities. Offensively, Betts hit .348 with two homers and an .874 OPS over his last 17 games after a season-long slump. The position change was questioned as a possible factor, but Betts now appears to be succeeding both defensively and at the plate.
Betts has six Gold Glove awards in right field, but chose to move to the infield for the Dodgers. With just over a month remaining in the regular season, how has Betts fared in his new position? The Dodgers star has done quite well. Entering Sunday's series finale against the San Diego Padres, Betts was tied for second among shortstops in Defensive Runs Saved. He trails only the Tampa Bay Rays' Taylor Walls in that defensive metric.
Answering whether he has proven to himself he can play shortstop, Betts had an epic reply: "I feel like that was mostly to y'all, not to me. I know what I'm capable of, what I can do." On the offensive side, Betts has averaged .348 with two homers and an .874 OPS in his last 17 games. The numbers are a welcoming sight after the Dodgers star's ongoing slump throughout most of the season.
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