Mookie Betts wins 3rd World Series ring

NEW YORK – Mookie Betts might be getting used to it.

He is now a three-time World Series champion. And no, it doesn't get old.

He is currently the only active position player to have won three World Series rings, having previously won titles with the 2018 Red Sox and 2020 Dodgers. Right winger Joe Kelly, who is out with a right shoulder injury, also received his third ring. The pair joined Royals reliever Will Smith — no, not the Dodgers catcher, although that makes five straight years of a Will Smith winning a ring — and became the only active players with three World Series -Titles.

During the champagne celebrations that followed, Kelly approached Betts as he was giving interviews. He raised three fingers and then imitated a ring. He then doused Betts with a bottle of Budweiser.

“Probably my favorite group I’ve been with and I’ve been part of some really great teams with a lot of really good characters,” Betts said. “But this team here, man, I love every single one of them.”

Betts had a solid, if unspectacular, series against the Yankees. He was fantastic defensively (not to mention catching up the right field line in Game 4 while battling two fans trying to rip the ball out of his glove).

Betts batted .278 while reaching base at a .348 clip. Most notably, Betts delivered the go-ahead RBI in Wednesday's decisive game – an eighth-inning sacrifice throw against Yankees right-hander Luke Weaver.

“He’s one of the guys I’m really excited about,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Because he’s one of the guys in the postseason that was talked about and didn’t perform. To be able to tune out all that noise and still focus on winning baseball games, there’s no one who cares more.”

It's funny to think about in hindsight – considering Betts is now the only active hitter with three championships. But as Roberts noted, Betts took a lot of criticism early in the playoffs for struggling in the Dodgers' two recent Division Series exits. He went a combined 2-for-25 against the Padres in 2022 and against the Diamondbacks in 2023.

But Betts delivered two game-winning home runs against the Padres in this year's edition of the NLDS and then two more against the Mets in the NL Championship Series.

“He’s a very talented player,” Roberts said. “Hopefully we can keep this story a secret for a while because he's done it all – and played both sides of baseball. “He made some big plays on defense and he came up big on offense.”

Betts accomplished an incredible amount in his 11 seasons in the major leagues. He has won an MVP award, a batting title and reached eight All-Star Games. But adding a third World Series ring is certainly at the top of his list.

“It’s cool,” Betts said. “We’re going to enjoy it tonight. Then do it again next year.”