needed to set the document straight: is his shortstop.
“Mookie,” Roberts mentioned, “is not going to go to proper area.”
Roberts repeated the phrase a few occasions, as if he was decided to quash any hypothesis about one other late-season place change for Betts.
“Mookie,” Roberts mentioned once more, “is not going to go to proper area.”
There it’s, instantly from the person who arms the lineup card to the umpire each night time.
So ignore the noise and .
Mookie Betts is .
Betts is the Dodgers’ shortstop now, Betts would be the Dodgers’ shortstop subsequent week, and Betts would be the Dodgers’ shortstop within the postseason.
The one occasions Roberts mentioned he envisioned Betts returning to proper area was late in video games by which the Dodgers ran out of bench gamers. A scenario like that got here up a couple of weeks in the past in a recreation in opposition to the . Miguel Rojas, an infielder, was deployed as a pinch hitter within the prime of the eighth inning and remained within the recreation at shortstop. Betts defended proper area for an inning.
Roberts isn’t sticking with Betts at shortstop due to their shut relationship. He’s sticking with Betts at shortstop due to how Betts has performed the place.
Betts entered his crew’s weekend sequence main all main league shortstops in defensive runs saved (15).
He was ninth in outs above common (4).
He was additionally fifth in fielding share (.985).
“Whenever you’re speaking about shortstop play, you’re searching for consistency, and I’ve simply cherished the consistency,” Roberts mentioned. “He’s made each play he’s imagined to make, after which the final couple weeks, he’s made spectacular performs. He’s been an enormous a part of stopping runs. “
Roberts is equally, if no more, inspired by how Betts has appeared.
“Proper now, it’s all intuition as a substitute of the technical a part of it, how to do that or that,” Roberts mentioned. “I feel he’s free to simply be a significant league shortstop. I really, to this present day, have by no means seen a place change like Mookie has.”
A six-time Gold Glove Award winner with no consideration fielder, Betts moved to shortstop late in spring coaching final 12 months when it turned evident the crew didn’t have an on a regular basis participant on the place. The final time he spent important time at shortstop was in highschool.
By mid-June, Betts was a couple of league-average shortstop however additional progress was derailed by a damaged hand that landed him on the injured listing. When Betts was activated a few months later, he returned with no consideration fielder. He remained there all through the .
Nonetheless, Betts was decided to take one other shot at enjoying shortstop. Not like the earlier 12 months, he was in a position to practice at this place over the offseason, working with Dodgers coaches and former All-Star shortstop . The preparation has made a noticeable distinction.
Betts has improved to the place he now feels snug allotting recommendation on methods to play the place, usually providing tips that could rookie infielder .
“It’s the smallest particulars,” Freeland mentioned. “I give him a lot credit score as a result of he makes the small issues matter essentially the most as a result of a number of these smaller particulars go neglected by a number of gamers the place they’re like, ‘Oh, we don’t have to deal with that, one thing so minute, it’s not going to matter.’ However Mookie takes all of the small particulars and makes them essential.”
Roberts anticipated this of Betts, whom he considers one of many crew’s leaders alongside Freddie Freeman and Clayton Kershaw. He pointed to how Betts has carried himself within the worst offensive season of his profession, his relentless work leading to him batting .329 during the last three weeks.
“I really like how Mookie is at all times accountable,” Roberts mentioned. “There’s been occasions the place he’s been actually good and occasions he hasn’t however he’s by no means run from having the dialog or proudly owning the truth that he’s underperforming. His work has by no means wavered. So for me, that’s one thing that whenever you’re speaking about one of many leaders in your clubhouse, it actually resonates with everybody, coaches included. I’m at all times going to wager on him.”
A lot in order that Roberts has wagered the season on him.
Mookie Betts is his shortstop — now, subsequent week and within the postseason.
