Even Shohei Ohtani is impressed by Mookie Betts
BOSTON -- It's been a few years since Mookie Betts left Boston, so the region has perhaps collectively lost touch with the athletic feats the seven-time All-Star performs on a regular basis. Occasionally, reminders pop up from time to time.
This would count as one of them.
With Shohei Ohtani being the story in baseball this year, he was obviously a focal point in this week's All-Star Game festivities. With a pending free agency awaiting him this weekend, Ohtani has seen a lot of recruitment pitches over the past few days -- some more serious than others. But after the game -- during which Ohtani struck out and drew a walk -- Ohtani was asked which player he was most impressed with during the week. Ohtani asked the reporter if the question was solely about Ohtani's teammates on the American League roster, but the reporter said all players were fair game.
"Not just today, but just watching guys overall, I feel like Mookie Betts really impresses me," Ohtani answered through his interpreter. "He's so versatile -- he can play the outfield, play the middle infield. So I think he's very, very talented."
Indeed, Betts has unveiled a new level of versatility to his game this year, playing 254 innings at either shortstop or second base in the first half of this season. Though Betts came up as a second baseman, he had played just 212 innings at second base from 2015-22, and he had never played shortstop. Betts has won six Gold Gloves in the outfield, but with the Dodgers in need of middle infield help, the 30-year-old has stepped up for his team.
He's been a natural, too.
Betts has still spent plenty of time in the outfield -- 482.2 innings, to be exact -- all while maintaining the third-best OPS (.964) in Major League Baseball. (Ohtani, if you didn't know, is the MLB leader in that category, at 1.050.)
Put it all together, and that's why the most impressive baseball player on the planet is most impressed with Mookie Betts, who remains a rather good baseball player now in his fourth year away from the Red Sox.
