Mookie Betts tied a Boston Red Sox franchise record with his latest home run against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.
Every road trip for the Boston Red Sox should include a visit to Camden Yards. Not only is the home of the Baltimore Orioles among the most aesthetically pleasing ballparks in Major League Baseball, it has also become an environment that Mookie Betts has turned into his own personal playground.
The 23-year old burgeoning superstar has demolished Orioles pitching this season, but the way he has toyed with Baltimore’s beleaguered pitching staff in their own home has bordered on the ridiculous. Betts is 13-for-26 (.500) at the plate with a staggering 2.017 OPS at Camden Yards this season.
Betts gave the Red Sox an early lead in the third inning of Monday night’s win over the Orioles with a two-run blast to left field. It was his eighth home run of the year at Camden Yards, tying Jimmie Foxx‘s (1939) franchise record for home runs in a visiting ballpark during a single season.
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The eight homers he has hit at Camden also ties him with Sammy Sosa (2001, Minute Maid Park) and Mike Schmidt (1980, Wrigley Field) for the most home runs for any player in a visiting ballpark during a single season over the last 50 years.
This brings his total to 31 home runs this season, putting Betts on a pace to nearly double the career-high that he set in his first full season in the big leagues in 2015. A year ago he finished with 18 homers in 145 games. This year he has homered 17 times at Fenway Park alone. The eight home runs in Baltimore account for more than half of the instances in which he has gone deep on the road this year, as he has hit six in all other visiting ballparks combined.
The dominance that Betts has shown in Baltimore was first put on display when he homered three times in a Red Sox victory on May 31. Betts would add another three-homer game in August, this time at Fenway, joining him with Ted Williams as the only hitters in franchise history to have multiple three-home run games in a season.
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When you find your name next to the likes of Teddy Ballgame and the Beast in the franchise record books, you know you’re doing something right.
Betts has done a lot of things right in a 2016 season where he has blossomed into an MVP candidate. Entering the day he is the only hitter in the majors batting over .300 with at least 30 home runs, 100 RBI and 100 runs scored. He’s also the only big league hitter with 30+ home runs and 20+ steals, putting him in position to join the rare 30/30 club.
The Orioles must feel that they’ve been victimized enough by the bat of Betts, yet he may not be done yet with the Red Sox scheduled for three more games at Camden Yards this week. Betts has already tied some impressive accomplishments, but over the next few days we may be talking about him sitting alone at the top of those lists.
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Over the next few weeks we are certain to hear more about Betts being among the best players in baseball. Is he the MVP? You certainly won’t get many arguments out of the Orioles pitching staff.