There’s little argument as to who is the best overall baseball player on the Los Angeles Dodgers: Shohei Ohtani.
Of course, Mookie Betts isn’t far behind him on the consensus rankings with an AL MVP and a collection of Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards, to name a few accolades.
But when it comes to who is the best all-around athlete, Betts is betting on himself over Ohtani.
“Me,” he said to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. “Not even close.”
“If we’re talking about does he run fast, does he jump high and stuff, Shohei would win that. But, as far as like, pure coordination s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s, I don’t think it’s remotely close. I feel like it’s just what I do. It’s just what God blessed me with.”
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) high-fives shortstop Mookie Betts (50) after Betts hit a two-run home run during the sixth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
The two players offer extremely different profiles with Ohtani standing at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds while Betts weighs in at 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds.
Betts fought a recent stomach illness that caused him to lose 20 pounds and miss the first two games of the season in Tokyo, but he still returned to hit a pair of home runs in last Friday’s walk-off 8-5 win against the Atlanta Braves.
The 32-year-old shortstop is touted for his position versatility. He has played most of his career in the outfield and after playing 16 games at shortstop last season, he moved there permanently for 2025.
Over the years, Betts has also competed as a professional bowler, having bowled a several perfect games in the PBA.
“Like I said, that’s kind of what God blessed me with,” Betts said. “That’s the reason why I can move and play kind of any position. If you can play any sport and understand how your body moves, you should be able to put it in decent spots to be successful, no matter where you are on the field.”
