History of Mookie Betts in Timeline
Markus Lynn "Mookie" Betts is a highly decorated MLB player currently with the Los Angeles Dodgers, previously starring for the Boston Red Sox. An eight-time All-Star, seven-time Silver Slugger, and six-time Gold Glove winner, Betts has secured three World Series championships. He earned the American League MVP award in 2018 and is second in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) among active position players, demonstrating his exceptional all-around contributions to the game. Betts also hosts a podcast named On Base on Bleacher Report.
October 7, 1992: Mookie Betts Born
On October 7, 1992, Markus Lynn "Mookie" Betts was born. He is an American professional baseball outfielder, shortstop, and second baseman.
1997: Minor League Data Before 1997
Before 1997, Minor League Baseball lacked data on consecutive games reaching base.
2004: Mentorship with Terry Shumpert
In 2004, Terry Shumpert, Betts' cousin, worked extensively with Betts during his final season of professional baseball with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds.
2010: Bowler of the Year
In 2010, Betts was named the Tennessee Boys Bowler of the Year with a high score of 290.
2010: High School Stats and Commitment
In 2010, during his junior year at John Overton High School, Mookie Betts batted .548 with 24 steals and signed a letter of commitment to attend the University of Tennessee on a baseball scholarship.
2011: Jacoby Ellsbury Joins 30-30 Club
In 2011, Jacoby Ellsbury was the first player in Red Sox history to join the 30-30 club.
2011: Drafted by Red Sox and Contract
In 2011, The Boston Red Sox selected Betts in the fifth round of the Major League Baseball draft and he signed a $750,000 contract with the Red Sox organization.
2012: Lowell Spinners Season
In 2012, Betts batted .267 and stole 20 bases in 71 games for the Lowell Spinners.
2013: Reached Base Streak Begins
In 2013 and 2014, Betts reached base in 66 straight regular-season games plus five playoff games for a combined streak of 71 games.
2013: Greenville Drive Season
In 2013, Betts started the season with the Greenville Drive, batting .296 and was selected to the South Atlantic League All-Star Game.
2013: Pedroia's Contract Extension
In 2013, Dustin Pedroia signed an eight-year contract extension, leading to speculation that Betts would be groomed for a new position.
2013: Promotion to Salem Red Sox
On July 9, 2013, Betts was promoted to the Salem Red Sox. He was named Offensive Player of the Year and Breakout Player of the Year in the Boston minor league system.
May 2014: Started Playing Outfield
Since mid-May 2014, Mookie Betts has played outfield in addition to second base.
June 28, 2014: Promotion to Red Sox
On June 28, 2014, Mookie Betts was promoted to the Red Sox.
2014: Reached Base Streak Begins
In 2013 and 2014, Betts reached base in 66 straight regular-season games plus five playoff games for a combined streak of 71 games.
2014: MLB Season Performance
In 2014, Betts split the season between AA, AAA, and MLB, playing 52 major league games and hitting .291 with five home runs for the Red Sox.
2014: Promotion to Triple-A
In 2014, Betts started the season with the Portland Sea Dogs and on June 3rd, he was promoted to the Pawtucket Red Sox.
2014: MLB Debut
In 2014, Mookie Betts made his MLB debut with the Red Sox, splitting time between second base and the outfield and became the Red Sox center fielder.
2014: First Career Grand Slam
On August 29, 2014, Mookie Betts hit his first career grand slam against Chris Archer. In September, he started playing second base regularly due to injuries.
April 6, 2015: Home Run on Opening Day
On April 6, 2015, Mookie Betts hit a home run in his second at-bat on Opening Day for the Boston Red Sox.
April 13, 2015: Outstanding Performance at Home Opener
On April 13, 2015, in the home opener, Betts robbed a home run, stole two bases on one play, and hit a home run.
June 21, 2015: AL Player of the Week
Mookie Betts was named the AL Player of the Week for the week ending on June 21, 2015, after batting .581 with two home runs, two triples, three doubles, and seven RBI.
September 12, 2016: Strikeout Streak Begins
On September 12, 2016, Mookie Betts started a streak of 129 consecutive plate appearances without a strikeout.
2016: Previous Salary
In 2016, Betts' salary was $566,000 with the Red Sox.
2016: Moved to Right Field
In 2016, Mookie Betts moved to right field for the Red Sox.
2016: All-Star and 200 Hits
In 2016, Mookie Betts was selected to the MLB All-Star Game and named AL Player of the Month for July. On September 20, he became the first player to reach 200 hits during the 2016 MLB season.
2016: Golden Glove Award
In 2016, Mookie Betts won his second consecutive Golden Glove Award.
2016: AL East Division and Defensive Player of the Year
In 2016, the Red Sox clinched the AL East Division, and Betts was named Wilson Sporting Goods' Defensive Player of the Year at right field. He was also a finalist for the American League MVP Award, finishing as the runner-up to Mike Trout.
April 19, 2017: Strikeout Streak Ends
On April 19, 2017, Mookie Betts' streak of 129 consecutive plate appearances without a strikeout ended.
July 2, 2017: 8 RBI Game and All-Star Selection
On July 2, 2017, Betts tied an MLB record with eight RBIs from the leadoff slot and was granted his second American League All-Star Game selection.
2017: Perfect Game in Bowling
In 2017, Mookie Betts bowled a perfect game in the World Series of Bowling.
2017: Contract Renewal
Prior to the 2017 season, the Red Sox renewed Betts' contract with a salary of $950,000.
April 17, 2018: Comparison to Mike Trout and Three Home Run Game
On April 17, 2018, Mookie Betts was compared to Mike Trout in an article, and that same night, Betts hit three home runs against Trout's Los Angeles Angels, tying him with Ted Williams for the most three-homer games in Red Sox history.
November 2018: Birth of First Child
In November 2018, Betts and his girlfriend, Brianna Hammonds, welcomed their first child, a daughter.
2018: Lucky Necklace
As a member of the Red Sox, Betts received a necklace from a 13-year-old fan during spring training in 2018, which he wore throughout his AL Batting Championship, MVP Award, and World Series championship season.
2018: Batting Order Shift
Before the 2019 season, manager Alex Cora initially planned a batting order shift in 2018, positioning Andrew Benintendi as the leadoff hitter and Betts second, a change from their usual order.
2018: Historic Season
In 2018, Betts became the first player in MLB history to win the Most Valuable Player award, Silver Slugger award, Gold Glove award, batting title, and World Series all in the same season.
2018: Salary Arbitration
In 2018, Betts was awarded a $10.5 million salary through arbitration.
2018: MVP, Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, World Series Champion
In 2018, Mookie Betts finished the season leading the major leagues with a .346 batting average and won his third consecutive Gold Glove, the Heart & Hustle Award. On November 15, 2018, he was named the American League MVP, becoming the only player in American League history to win the World Series, a Gold Glove award, a Silver Slugger award, and the AL MVP in the same season.
2019: $20 Million Salary Agreement and All-Star Selection
In 2019, Betts and the Red Sox agreed on a $20 million salary, avoiding arbitration. By the end of June 2019, Betts had a .261 average with 13 home runs and was selected as a reserve outfielder to the 2019 All-Star Game.
2019: Gold Glove, Silver Slugger and MVP Voting
In 2019, Betts had a .295 batting average with 29 home runs and led the major leagues with 135 runs. He was awarded his fourth consecutive Gold Glove and his third Silver Slugger and finished eighth in AL MVP voting.
February 10, 2020: Traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers
On February 10, 2020, the Red Sox traded Betts and David Price to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Alex Verdugo, Connor Wong, and Jeter Downs.
August 27, 2020: Reaches 1,000 Career Hits
On August 27, 2020, Mookie Betts achieved a significant career milestone by reaching 1,000 MLB career hits.
2020: $27 Million Salary Agreement
In 2020, Betts and the Red Sox agreed to a $27 million salary for the upcoming season.
2020: World Series Win and Gold Glove Award
In 2020, Betts finished the season with a .292 batting average and 16 home runs and won his second World Series. After the season, Betts was awarded his fifth consecutive Gold Glove and his fourth Silver Slugger. He finished second in NL MVP voting.
2020: Traded to the Dodgers
In 2020, Mookie Betts was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
2020: World Series win with Dodgers
Mookie Betts won the 2020 World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
January 2021: Engagement Announcement
In January 2021, Betts and his longtime girlfriend, Brianna Hammonds, announced their engagement.
December 1, 2021: Marriage to Brianna Hammonds
On December 1, 2021, Mookie Betts married his longtime girlfriend, Brianna Hammonds, in Palos Verdes Estates, California.
2021: Switched Over to Vegan
In 2021, Betts stated that he had switched to veganism.
2021: All-Star Selection
In 2021, Betts was selected to the National League All-Star Team but did not play due to injury. He played in 122 games for the Dodgers, batting .264 with 23 home runs.
January 2022: Movie Production Agreement
In January 2022, Betts signed a movie production agreement with Propagate Content.
August 2022: Film Production: Jackie Robinson
In August 2022, Betts participated in the production of "Jackie Robinson: Get to the Bag", a film focused on the life of Jackie Robinson, previewed at a New York museum.
2022: All-Star Appearance and Career-High Home Runs
In 2022, Betts was selected as a starting outfielder for the National League All-Star Team, making his sixth appearance at the MLB All-Star game. He played in 142 games for the Dodgers in 2022, batting .269 with a career-high 35 home runs.
August 7, 2023: Record-Tying Grand Slam
On August 7, 2023, Betts hit his fifth career grand slam home run as a lead-off batter, tying a Major League record.
2023: No Longer Vegan
By 2023, Betts confirmed that he is no longer vegan.
2023: Position Versatility
In 2023, Betts demonstrated his versatility by playing significant time at second base and made his first career appearance as a shortstop due to injuries and underperformance among Dodgers infielders.
2024: Third World Series Championship and Seventh Silver Slugger Award
In 2024, Mookie Betts played a key role in the Dodgers' World Series victory against the Yankees, earning his third World Series championship. He also won his seventh Silver Slugger award.
2024: Injuries, Position Changes, Return to Right Field
In 2024, Mookie Betts was initially planned to become the Dodgers' full-time second baseman, then transitioned to starting shortstop before fracturing his left hand on June 16, 2024. He returned from the injured list on August 12, 2024, resuming his position in right field.
2024: World Series win with Dodgers
Mookie Betts won the 2024 World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
2032: Contract Extension
In 2020, Mookie Betts signed a 12-year, $365 million extension with the Dodgers through the 2032 season.
2032: Contract Extension with Dodgers
On July 22, 2020, Betts signed a 12-year contract extension with the Dodgers through the 2032 season, worth $365 million, including a $65 million signing bonus.
