Given the circumstances, maybe the Curse of Mookie Betts is very, very real.
History tends to repeat itself, after all, which is another way of saying that the names change … but the stories remain the same. In 1918, the Red Sox won the World Series. In 1920, they sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees and altered the history of both franchises for roughly a century. Thus was born the Curse of the Bambino, which is really just another way of saying that karma is a bitch.
And now, maybe the Red Sox are living it all over again.
In 2018, after all, the Red Sox won the World Series with arguably the greatest season in their history, winning 108 regular season games and another 11 in the playoffs for the whopping total of 119. Two years later – in 2020 – the Sox traded Betts and David Price to the Los Angeles Dodgers in what was largely a financial move, acquiring outfielder Alex Verdugo, infielder Jeter Downs and catcher Connor Wong, the last of whom is now the only remaining asset from a trade that has been nothing less than a train wreck.
Now in its fifth season, the Curse of Mookie Betts appears to be gaining considerable strength. Last night, while the Red Sox were losing both a game (10-7 to the Cleveland Guardians) and two more players to injury (Rafael Devers and Garrett Whitlock), Betts recorded his third career five-hit game in the Dodgers’ 6-2 win over the Washington Nationals. Twenty games into the 2024 season, Betts appears poised for the best year of his career, leading the major leagues in, among other things, batting average (.388), OPS (1.190), hits (31), runs (22), totals bases (56) and walks (16). Oh, and did we mention he has played both shortstop and second for the Dodgers while the Red Sox have a player at neither?
Yeesh.
For both Betts and the Red Sox, it seems, the hits just keep on coming.
Some of the gory details:
The Dodgers have the most wins in baseball since the trade
BOSTON, MA – AUGUST 27: Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates as he rounds the bases after his two-run home run during the sixth inning at Fenway Park on August 27, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
Before you point out that the Ruth trade involved the Red Sox’ chief rival, the New York Yankees, remember this: the Dodgers were originally based in Brooklyn. And while Los Angeles was already a good team when Betts got there – the Red Sox defeated Los Angeles in the 2018 World Series – the Dodgers have gone to another level in the last five seasons. Beginning in 2020, Los Angeles has the most wins in baseball – and by a sizable numbers. The Dodgers 372 wins place them well ahead of the Atlanta Braves (339), who rank second. The Red Sox, meanwhile, having a losing record over the same stretch (281-283) and rank a perfectly mediocre 16th in victories.
Betts has been arguably the best positional player in baseball for a while now
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 12: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres is out at second as Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws to first to complete a double play in the third inning at Dodger Stadium on April 12, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
Does Betts pitch, like Shohei Ohtani? Well, no. (At least not yet.) He does, however, play multiple positions and has won six Gold Gloves in the outfield. This year, the Dodgers have employed him at both shortstop where he ranks third in baseball in defensive runs saved) and second base (where he is a neutral +0 in 54 innings). The point is that Mookie currently seems to be everywhere – or at least everywhere the Dodgers need him. There has been no better player in all of baseball this year, including Ohtani, who will not pitch this season after undergoing elbow surgery.
Betts already was in a class with a select few
BOSTON, MA – AUGUST 26: Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a double against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning at Fenway Park on August 26, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
Now 31 – he’ll be 32 in October – Betts may be at the peak of his career, which could be about the only good news for the Red Sox. (How much better could he possibly get?) Since arriving in Los Angeles, Betts ranks fourth in the major leagues in OPS, behind only Juan Soto, Freddie Freeman and Ohtani. (Those four are the only players in baseball with an OPS greater than .900.) Betts has won just one Most Valuable Player Award to date – with the Red Sox in 2018 – but he has finished second three times and in the Top 5 on five total occasions. (He also has a sixth-place finish.) And in case you’re wondering, Betts has eight more years remaining on his 12-year, $365 million contract with the Dodgers – a price the Red Sox were unwilling to pay.
Of course, in a manner of speaking, they’re paying a heftier price now.
Mookie in action
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 16: Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers doubles in the seventh inning against the Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium on April 16, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 16: Drew Mills #81 of the Washington Nationals looks on as Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers crosses the plate for a run in the seventh inning at Dodger Stadium on April 16, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 14: Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after the third out of the San Diego Padres during a 6-3 loss to the Padres at Dodger Stadium on April 14, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – APRIL 8: Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers is congratuled after scoring on a sacrifice fly hit by Freddie Freeman #5 during the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on April 8, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – APRIL 06: Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers in action against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on April 06, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – AUGUST 27: Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers follows through on a two-run home run against the Boston Red Sox during the sixth inning at Fenway Park on August 27, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – AUGUST 25: Mookie Betts (R) #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers smiles with Enrique Hernandez #8 after their 7-4 win over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on August 25, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
