Mookie Betts: Is the MLB star about to go pro in a whole new sport?

Most people know Los Angeles Dodgers baseball star Mookie Betts as a player that might continue to be the best player in the sport for many years to come. However, many fans don’t realize that Betts is also a premier bowler, and is just as much of a force at the alley as he is on the diamond. Baseball statistics are sourced from Baseball Reference.

Betts told NBC News in February 2024 that bowling, and not baseball, was actually his first love as a child. His mother, Diana, was a competitive bowler in Nashville, Tennessee, and was reportedly at a bowling alley when it was time to give birth to her son.

Betts said that his mom was intent on introducing him to bowling from day one, so much so that she brought his crib to the lanes.

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According to a story by the Los Angeles Times, Betts would push bowling balls with two hands at three years old in order to get in on the family fun.

According to NBC News, Betts wasn’t allowed to play on certain baseball teams in elementary school because of his smaller stature. His mother was sure to keep him fit and active, creating a youth bowling team that her son and his friends could play on.

Major League Baseball’s regular season is 162 games long, and the Dodgers have a habit of making the postseason. This wouldn’t seem to leave much time for Betts to hit the lanes, but he makes it a point to play as much as he can when the baseball season concludes.

Betts is used to standing out in a group of MLB All-Stars, but he’s also skilled enough at bowling to compete with the best in his other favorite sport.

The Los Angeles Dodgers star actually participated in the 2023 Professional Bowlers Association U.S. Open championship. The tournament featured 108 of the most accomplished bowlers, and Betts wasn’t given a spot just to drive up ratings.

Betts proved he is one of the premier bowlers in the country in that forum. At one point, he was tied with top ranked bowler Jason Belmonte in a qualifying round, according to MLB’s website.

United States Bowling Congress executive director Chad Murphy told the Los Angeles Times that Betts is another accomplished player when he steps up to the lanes. “He fits in and gained acceptance because he takes bowling seriously. People who bowl for a living appreciate that,” Murphy said.

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In addition to making a name for himself in baseball and bowling, Betts was also passionate about basketball growing up, according to the Los Angeles Times.

In February 2024, Betts hosted a bowling event for the second straight year in order to raise money for the 50/50 Foundation, which is a youth sports-based venture he founded. According to Dodger Blue’s website, members of the Dodgers front office attended, as well as a couple of Betts’ teammates.

Mookie Betts started his MLB career with the Boston Red Sox, spending six years there. He became a versatile star, who hit for average and power. Betts was also a supreme threat on the basepaths, stealing 126 bases during his time with the Red Sox.

ESPN speculated in January 2023 that the Red Sox chose other young players to pay over Betts, but their decision to trade him away to the Dodgers before the 2020 campaign is still questioned to this day.

The Dodgers didn’t wait long to make sure they signed Betts to a long term deal. Los Angeles gave him a 12-year contract worth $365 million, making him one of the highest paid players in MLB.

According to Sports Illustrated, the Dodgers felt that Betts would have been a Baseball Hall of Famer had he stopped playing 10 years into his major league career. Once he hangs up his baseball cleats, it seems like he might have his sights set on bowling greatness.

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