Mookie Betts (Los Angeles Dodgers), a six-time Gold Glove winner as an outfielder, will play second base next year.
“Betts will be the starting second baseman in 2024,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told MLB.com on Friday.
Betts, who broke into the majors in 2014, has had a stellar career in right field. His defensive prowess has been recognized with six Gold Gloves.
This year, however, Betts has filled a void in the outfield. In 2023, Betts played 107 games in right field (77 starts), 70 games at second base (62 starts), and 16 games at shortstop (12 starts).
Betts is no stranger to the infield, having played shortstop in high school and second base in the minors, 카지노사이트넷 before switching to right field in his big league debut with the Boston Red Sox when he couldn’t break through the fierce infield competition.
His athleticism made him an excellent defender in the outfield, but he reportedly had a soft spot for the infield.
Roberts decided to move Betts to second base next season
A position he feels more comfortable with, while reducing the strain of frequent position changes.
“Betts is a Gold Glove-winning right fielder,” Roberts said, “but if you have a good second baseman, you can play him at second and make the whole team run better.” “I could see Betts playing second base for the rest of his career (not just next year). That excites me, and most importantly, it excites Betts.”
If Betts can play solid defense at second base next year, he could compete with Ha Sung Kim (San Diego Padres) for the National League (NL) Gold Glove.
This year, Betts and Kim were both nominated for the NL Gold Glove in the utility category for their versatile defense. Kim beat out Betts for the Gold Glove.
Kim played the most games at second base this year, 106 (98 starts), while also playing 32 (29 starts) 온라인카지노사이트 at third base and 20 (16 starts) at shortstop. He was nominated for a Gold Glove at second base, but only won the utility award.