Mookie Betts has already carved out an impressive MLB career. Now into his 13th season, the former fifth-round pick of the Boston Red Sox has earned eight All-Star nods, six Gold Glove Awards, seven Silver Slugger Awards and was even named the American League MVP in 2018.
While his personal success has been impressive, Betts has been a part of some great teams. Since making his debut in 2014, he has won four World Series, one with the Red Sox and three with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Set to turn 34 years old on Oct. 7, though, his age has led to questions about how much longer he has to continue playing.
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However, he isn't putting a firm timeline on the end of his career. When speaking to DJ Siddiqi of R.org, Betts stated that he isn't focusing on a specific age, but rather that he wants to walk away when the time feels right.
“I got like five or six years left,” Betts said. “It seems like it gets longer and longer every year. It seems like I’ve signed another five-year deal every year I play. But no, I don’t have a target age or anything. I will just take the jersey off when I feel like it’s time. I don’t want to go. I want to go out on my own terms and not because somebody else took it off.”
At 33 years old, Betts is still contributing to the Dodgers' success. He's appeared in 60 games this season, accumulating 35 runs scored, 56 hits, 11 home runs and 31 RBIs in 238 at-bats. He is also slashing .235/.293/.416 for a .709 OPS.
While his OPS isn't up to his career average of .875, Betts' 1.3 WAR is tied for the 19th highest among shortstops with at least 200 at-bats, according to FanGraphs.
Currently in the sixth season of a 12-year, $365 million deal, Betts appears determined to play out a majority of the contract. For now, though, he remains focused on helping the Dodgers win as they chase a third straight World Series title.
