We’ve Never Seen A Shortstop Like Mookie Betts

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Mookie Betts (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

In Game 3 of the NLCS on Thursday, Mookie Betts made the type of play that separates the great shortstops from average ones.

With no outs in the ninth inning and in a situation where any baserunner who reached would bring the tying run to the plate, Betts fielded Andrew Vaughnâ€s grounder deep in the hole, jump-turned and uncorked an accurate bounce throw to nab the Brewers’ first baseman.

The play made highlight reels all over the internet and helped put the Dodgers one win away from returning to the World Series. Because the 33-year-old shortstop is a Hall of Fame-caliber player, itâ€s easy to just accept these types of plays as part of the complete package that has made Betts a star for more than a decade.

But in reality, Betts’ Game 3 web gem was one of the most improbable plays weâ€ll ever see.

What Betts is doing seems impossible if you think about it for a moment. The Dodgers’ biggest weakness in recent years—other than starting pitcher durability—has been the teamâ€s lack of a solid shortstop. So what did Betts do? He fixed the problem by becoming a Gold Glove-caliber shortstop on the wrong side of 30.

Betts’ versatility and baseball intelligence have long been apparent, but now heâ€s also learned to play shortstop at an elite level in the major leagues late in his career. That’s perhaps just as astounding as the jump-throw to gun down the runner at first on Wednesday.

Shortstop is a position for the best athlete and defender on the field. Players frequently move off of shortstop to other positions. No one climbs up the defensive ladder to shortstop in their 30s.

That’s not hyperbole, either—we do mean no one.

Only twice in MLB history has a player who spent five-plus seasons in the major leagues without ever playing shortstop then gone on to become a teamâ€s primary shortstop (82+ games), even for one season.

The only other exception was for another World Series-winning team. When the Yankees†plans to replace Phil Rizzuto at shortstop fell through in the 1950s, second baseman/third baseman Gil McDougald moved over to be the teamâ€s primary shortstop in 1956 and 1957 before sliding back to second when Tony Kubek took over.

McDougald, however, pulled off the feat as a 28-year-old. Betts didnâ€t play his first game at shortstop until after he had turned 30.

The list of MLB players who made their shortstop debut after age 30 is an exceedingly small list. There have only been seven to do so since the integration era began in 1947, and every other player to do so had a fleeting career at shortstop. Betts is the only one of those seven to play 200+ games at the position.

As you might expect, heâ€s also the only one to ever be considered for a Gold Glove. And that is what makes this so remarkable. Betts has shown he can thrive at a position that was seen as too much for him when he was a teenager.

Like most top pre-draft prospects who throw righthanded, Betts was a high school shortstop. But the expectation was that heâ€d quickly move elsewhere as a pro. Our pre-draft scouting report in 2011 summed it up as follows:

“Some scouts believe the speed will play better defensively and want to shift him to center field. Others believe his solid first-step quickness and quick-twitch athleticism give him a chance to stay in the infield, though more likely at second base than at short. He has some footwork issues to iron out to stay in the dirt.â€

And that’s exactly what happened. Drafted in the fifth round by the Red Sox, Betts played one game at shortstop in 2011 and then moved to second base less than a month into the 2012 season at short-season Lowell. Those 14 games at shortstop in 2011-2012 would be the last time heâ€d play there at any level until 2023.Â

Betts was an excellent second baseman in the minors, but Dustin Pedroia’s claim on that position meant he quickly moved to the outfield in the major leagues. So what did Betts do? He became one of the best outfielders in baseball.

And that’s been Betts’ story wherever he’s played. But usually players move down the spectrum to easier spots as they age. In his case, he’s leapt from right field to second base and now to shortstop. Only eight players 32 or older played a game at shortstop in the major leagues in 2025. Betts, despite never having done it before, somehow managed to do so at an elite level.

With the Dodgers set to host the Brewers on Friday up 3-0 in the NLCS, Betts is looking for his fourth World Series ring this October. Heâ€ll find out if he’s won his seventh Gold Glove next month. Heâ€s an eight-time All-Star, a seven-time Silver Slugger and the 2018 American League MVP.

This year, Betts managed to somehow add another chapter to an already overflowing Hall of Fame resume. No one has ever managed to pull off the later-career defensive accomplishment that he has this year. As usual, he’s made the nearly-impossible look almost easy.

There have been a lot of great hitters in MLB history. And there have many exceptional fielders, too.

But there’s only one Mookie Betts.

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