Jul 10, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Mookie Betts (50) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the fifth inning against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Option #2 – Mookie Betts
Bio:
- Born October 7, 1992 (22 years old) in Nashville, Tennessee
- Plays outfield and second base
- Bats right; throws right
- 5’9″, 180 lbs.
- Drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 5th round in 2011
- Exceeded rookie status in 2014
- Prospect Ranking Pre-2014: Baseball America – #75, MLB.com – #62
Finances:
- Controlled through 2020, with no guaranteed dollars
- Arbitration eligible in 2018
- Free agent in 2021
- 2015 pay: one year / $515 thousand
Stats:
- Hit a slash line of .277/.328/.464 in 343 at-bats and 378 plate appearances before the All-Star Break
- Has 22 doubles, 6 triples, 10 home runs, and 43 RBIs
- Stolen 13 bases; caught stealing 4 times
- Played 52 games in 2014 and, so far, 86 games in 2015 for the Red Sox
- Fielding % – .995 in center field, with 1 error
- Defensive runs saved above average – 11 runs
Intangibles:
- It’s not just how many runs Betts cashes in, it’s when. Betts means so much to his team because of his well-documented moments at the plate where he comes through late to win the game or drive in the insurance run with his bat.
- His defense is half-man-half amazing in center field, making highlight-reel catches almost every game. His defense is replayed over and over on YouTube and other social media platforms, so that Betts is becoming a household name, especially with young people. His infectious smile and swagger gives him that ‘it-factor’ that teams wished their center fielders possessed.
- As Cameron states, “ seems to have room for growth above and beyond what he already is. He consistently ran double-digit walk rates in the minors, but he’s become much more aggressive this year in response to big league pitchers throwing him a lot of strikes. As it becomes clear to opponents that feeding him pitches in the zone isn’t going to work, he should be able to get his walk rate up, and prime-Mookie may very well run even BB/K rates while spraying line drives all over the field.” You can’t teach ruthless aggression used at the proper time. It has to come naturally. Betts seems to be learning very quickly just by playing every day.