Christian Yelich of the Milwaukee Brewers is this year’s National League MVP.NEW YORK – Mookie Betts is ready to become an ambassador for baseball, now that he’s won a batting title, a World Series championship and a Most Valuable Player award with the Boston Red Sox.
“I enjoy being kind of a face around the game. I’ve kind of used this pedestal or whatever you want to say to spread knowledge that the game is fun,” he said Thursday after his runaway victory for the American League MVP award.
Milwaukee Brewers slugger Christian Yelich was close to a unanimous pick for the National League honor. A 26-year-old outfielder just like Betts, Yelich also won a batting championship and led his team to a division title. But while Betts has been with the Red Sox since he signed after the 2011 amateur draft, Yelich didn’t join the Brewers until he was dealt to Milwaukee last January by the payroll-paring Miami Marlins.
“I’m thankful it all worked out, because being traded, you never know how it’s going to be,” Yelich said. “Luckily for myself, it all went amazing.”
Yelich is signed through 2021 and his deal includes a team option for the following season. Betts didn’t want to speculate whether he would be a Red Sox lifer, following in the footsteps of former Boston MVPs Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski and Jim Rice. Betts can become a free agent after the 2020 season.