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Mookie Betts, the star shortstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers, keeps an active and diverse lifestyle both on and off the baseball field. Known for his love of bowling, he also enjoys playing basketball, golf, and pickleball. Beyond sports, Betts is a devoted father of two, a podcaster, and a co-owner of a tequila brand. His latest venture involves a collaboration with the grooming brand Native.
Embracing a Relaxed Approach
In Native’s latest ad, Betts humorously grapples with the ghosts of baseball’s past, who caution him against altering his pregame routine while he picks up a bottle from their new Well Crafted collection. The spot taps into baseball’s long-standing superstitions, even though Betts himself claims, “I’m not a superstitious guy.”
“My passion for various sports helps me avoid strict rituals,” Betts explains. “There’s not one way I clear my head.” He acknowledges the unique challenges of baseball, which demand fleeting bursts of focus over an extended period. “Baseball is one of those things that you gotta have short bursts of focus, and you come in and out of that for three hours,” he notes. “You can’t stay locked in for that long.”
Inside His Pregame Routine
When preparing for games, Betts tends to keep things straightforward. “I get up and get moving around a little bit. I have kids, so I try and spend a little time with them in the morning before I head to work. I eat pretty clean. Just try and keep my body going, especially past 30.”
Despite playing for two storied franchises, the Boston Red Sox and the Dodgers, Betts has a relaxed approach to rivalries in baseball. “At this point in my career, I genuinely don’t care,” he states. “When I was younger, I really cared about the Red Sox-Yankees [rivalry]. Now you can argue the Padres [are our big rivals], but I really don’t care, dude. It’s all a game. And that’s just how you have to handle it.”
Jewelry as a Personal Touch
If there’s one superstition Betts maintains, it’s his penchant for jewelry. He’s regularly seen on the field wearing both a Cuban link chain and a baseball bat necklace. “My dad gave me the gold necklace I have on; I want to say it was in high school. And then this baseball necklace, there was a kid in maybe 2017 or ’18, and he gave me a necklace for a signed ball. I just put it on right before the game, and a couple of guys said they thought it was pretty cool. So I just kept it on.”
As he continues to pursue his career, Betts is hopeful for more achievements, including a fifth World Series ring, as the Dodgers seek their third consecutive championship.
