Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts is taking over Major League Baseball. He's that good. What the four-time MLB All-Star has accomplished up to this point is beyond impressive, and he's only getting warmed up.
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For some reason, the Boston Red Sox traded Betts during the 2020 offseason. Apparently having one of the greatest seasons in MLB history in 2018 wasn't good enough to keep him around and pay him the massive contract he's worth.
Don't worry, though. The 28-year-old superstar avoided free agency and secured a 12-year deal with the Dodgers. It was one of the biggest contracts in sports history.
Needless to say, his net worth has skyrocketed.
Early Life & Career
Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Markus Lynn Betts, who everyone knows as Mookie, has always been destined for greatness. He grew up in nearby Brentwood and was a two-sport star at John Overton High School, but baseball was his calling.
Betts batted a ridiculous .549 with six home runs, 37 RBIs and 24 stolen bases during his junior season and .509 with 39 RBIs and 29 stolen bases as a senior. He originally committed to play second base at the University of Tennessee over other offers from Vanderbilt, Mississippi State and Alabama-Birmingham.
"Man, I was going back and forth for I don't know how long," Betts told Tennessean.com back in 2010. "It was a back-and-forth thing. Finally, I just sat down in my room and thought about where I wanted to be and I wanted to be at UT."
That commitment didn't last long, however, because the Boston Red Sox drafted the star prospect in the fifth round of the 2011 MLB Draft. He was off to play professional baseball.
Like all players, Betts, then a second baseman, worked his way through the minor league system. He dominated every step of the way and was promoted to The Show in June 2014.
Since his rookie season, Betts has been nothing short of incredible. He has a career batting average of .301 with 509 RBIs and 136 stolen bases at the start of the 2021 season. He has been selected to four MLB All-Star Games, won four Gold Gloves as a right-fielder, and earned three Silver Slugger Awards.
Nothing can top his 2018 season. Not only did he help the Red Sox win the World Series over the Dodgers, he also won the American League MVP, the batting title, and was easily the best player in baseball. It truly was a season for the ages.
Two years later in February 2020, Betts and starting pitcher David Price were traded from Boston to Los Angeles in exchange for outfielder Alex Verdugo, catcher Connor Wong and shortstop Jeter Downs.
Betts helped the Los Angeles Dodgers win the 2020 World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Mookie Betts Can Bowl
RELATED: Mookie Betts' Fiancee & Daughter Are His Biggest Fans
Mookie Betts isn't just a star baseball player. He can get a lane a tear it up as a bowler, too. The former Most Valuable Player once bowled a perfect 300 game at the 2017 PBA World Series of Bowling in Reno.
Career Earnings
Mookie Betts received a $750,000 signing bonus out of high school in 2011, according to Spotrac, and his annual salary has continued to skyrocket ever since. He only made a modest $254,098 during his rookie season in 2014 and made $20 million in 2019.
In six seasons with the Boston Red Sox organization, Betts made a whopping $33 million.
Before he was traded, Betts, the 2018 AL MVP, signed a record one-year deal worth $27 million to avoid arbitration, according to USA Today. He played right field for the Los Angeles Dodgers in spring training before the coronavirus pandemic and COVID-19 outbreak suspended the start of the season.
It appears Betts will never become a free agent, either. A report from WEEI's Lou Merloni indicated a massive contract extension with the Dodgers was coming before Opening Day. A 10-year deal worth between $350 million and $400 million was expected. Then it happened hours later.
Outfielder Mookie Betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers are in agreement on a 12-year, $365 million contract extension, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN. Combined with the one-year, $27 million deal he’s currently under, the total is 13 years and $392 million.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 22, 2020
The deal did not get to Mike Trout level, but it was close. Betts signed a 12-year contract extension worth $365 million. Add that to his one-year deal in the 2020 offseason and it became a 13-year deal worth $392 million. And that's just his base salary!
Mookie Betts Net Worth
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Mookie Betts is worth $50 million in 2021. There's no doubt it will continue to soar over his major league career.
Over the last few seasons, Betts has punished AL pitchers from the New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros. Now it's time for him to do the same in the National League and make a lot more money.
This post was originally published on July 22, 2020.
