Dodgers 2023 All-Star profile: Mookie Betts

Excellence is the norm for Mookie Betts, but this season he’s found a new way to provide value to the Dodgers. He’s headed back to the All-Star Game, and will be busy on both Monday and Tuesday in Seattle.

Selection process

Betts was voted by fans to start in the National League outfield. During the first phase of voting, Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Braves had the most votes of any NL player, earning him an automatic starting spot. That left four outfielders fighting for two starting spots in final phase. Betts received 34 percent, most of the final quartet, with rookie Corbin Carroll of the D-backs getting 30 percent to earn the final outfield starting spot.

Betts will also compete in the Home Run Derby for the first time in his career, on Monday, July 10. “When I told my mom, she wasn’t too thrilled,” Betts said. “She told me, ‘I didn’t raise you to come in last.’ So the goal now is not to come in last.”

All-Star history

This is the seventh All-Star nod for Betts, each of the last seven years there was a midsummer classic (2016-19, 2021-23). This is his fifth time as a starter in the game. He was elected by fans to start in 2016, 2018, 2022, and this year, and also started in 2017 in place of an injured Mike Trout.

Betts played in five of his previous six All-Star Games, sitting out in 2021 while dealing with nagging injuries. He has two hits in eight at-bat, collecting a single against Johnny Cueto in 2016 and an RBI single off Shane McClanahan in 2022 at Dodger Stadium.

Pre-break stats

Betts is hitting .276/.379/.586 with 26 home runs, and he’s in the top three in the National League in slugging percentage, wRC+ (157), runs scored (72), fWAR (4.3), and even RBI (62) despite batting first.

His 10 home runs to lead off a game are already the most in a season in Dodgers history, and the most by any major league hitter before the All-Star break.

“I made the comparison recently that he’s like Rickey Henderson,” said manager Dave Roberts. “He steps in the box and he’s already in scoring position. It’s instant offense.

In addition to his usual excellence at the plate, Betts has also played regularly at second base and shortstop, the latter for the first time ever in the majors. Betts this season has started 19 times at second base and 12 times at shortstop in addition to his 54 starts in right field. His versatility has proved invaluable to the Dodgers, both on the field and potentially when it comes to trade deadline targets.

Dodgers history

Betts’ three All-Star berths with the Dodgers are tied third-most by an outfielder in franchise history. The only outfielders to make more All-Star Games with the team were Duke Snider (seven times) and Dixie Walker (five).

Betts single to drive in a run in the first inning in 2022 was the first All-Star RBI by a Dodger since Andre Ethier in 2011. In that same inning, Trea Turner singled, the seventh time in All-Star history multiple Dodgers had hits.