Mookie Betts Ready to Become MLB's Next True 5-Tool Star in 2015

The Red Sox's 2015 home opener Monday belonged to Mookie Betts, who had highlights with his bat, glove and legs in Boston's decisive 9-4 win against the Washington Nationals.

This may become a trend for the 22-year-old center field. He has continued to amaze with his athleticism, tools and feel for the game since debuting last season.

By now, you’ve likely seen his memorable plays from the first two innings of the game, but just to recap: Betts robbed Bryce Harper of a home run in the first inning with a fully extended, leaping catch over the right-center field fence and then showcased his tremendous speed and instincts in the bottom half by stealing both second and third base on the same play following a leadoff walk.

In the second inning, Betts turned around an inside fastball from Nationals starter Jordan Zimmermann for a three-run homer, a no-doubter over Fenway’s Green Monster. (And just for good measure, he plated a run with an infield single in the third.)

Hanley Ramirez put it perfectly following the game, telling Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald, “It’s the Mookie Show.”

As an immensely talented young player as well as a member of Boston’s overcrowded outfield situation, Betts was one of the more talked-about players in baseball during the offseason. Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe reported that the Philadelphia Phillies asked for Betts in a trade for ace Cole Hamels, an offer the Red Sox wisely declined.

The 22-year-old then pushed the arrow on his hype meter even further during spring training, as he batted a blistering .429 with eight doubles, two triples, two home runs and stole a pair of bases in just 19 games. Betts beat out Cuban star Rusney Castillo—who’s making more than $11 million this season—with the performance and secured the Opening Day center field job.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox made it clear that they believe in Betts.

Granted, he’s played in just 59 big league games, but it can be argued that Betts’ numbers—especially when considering his minor league track record—are the groundwork for what will be a spectacular career.

Level	PA	R	HR	XBH%	ISO	BB%	K%	SB	wOBA
AA	253	56	6	35.5	.196	13.8	7.9	22	.441
AAA	211	31	5	30.7	.168	12.3	14.2	11	.415
MLB (58 G)	247	38	7	33.9	.164	8.7	13.8	9	.357

Betts has shown extreme patience during his time in the major leagues, as he saw an average of 4.34 pitches per plate appearance last season. He’s shown even more extreme plate discipline, rarely swinging at pitches outside the zone:

Courtesy of BrooksBaseball.net

Betts also stands out for his elite contact ability, as he owns an 87.3 percent contact rate and 4.7 percent swinging-strike rate as a big leaguer. Add in speed that permits him to beat out ground balls and a legitimate feel for using the entire field, and you have the makings of a potentially special hitter.

"He gets himself on time, he's able to handle multiple types of pitches in the strike zone, and he's facing some pretty damn good pitching in spring training here,” said manager John Farrell of Betts during spring training (via Lauber).

Betts’ rocket home run Monday off Zimmermann perfectly highlighted the sneaky power he possesses. Though he’s listed at just 5’9” and 180 pounds, Betts has plus bat speed that gives him the confidence to turn around high-end velocity.

“The pitch that he hit out, that was in and off the plate. You don’t see too many guys turn on a ball like that,” said teammate and starting pitcher Rick Porcello about Betts’ home run, via Michael Hurley of CBS Boston.

On top of that, his natural barrel path produces fly balls at a rate that’s been consistently above league average throughout his professional career. Betts might not develop much power to the opposite field, but he’s already shown plenty of thump to his pull side, and there’s every reason to believe more is on the way.

Having played center field in only 35 big league games, the defensive metrics haven’t seen enough of Betts to offer a proper evaluation. Anyone who watched his rookie season observed his occasionally adventurous routes, as they often led to spectacular but completely improvised plays. However, Betts worked hard this spring to improve his jumps and routes. And being a quick learner, the results were immediate.

"I think I've improved better as far as routes, and getting to balls better," Betts said, via Jen McCaffrey of MassLive.com. "I'm learning how to put my head down and run after it. I think I'm taking some strides."

As for those instincts that enabled him to both rob a home run and steal two bases on one throw in his first home opener at Fenway Park, well, those are the type of things that come naturally to Betts. His ability to learn and make adjustments at the highest level has drawn rave reviews from his teammates and coaches.

David Ortiz, who certainly has seen his share of promising young players come and go during his 19-year career, has endorsed Betts as a “superstar.”

"He's a kid, an unbelievable athlete," Ortiz said, via Richard Justice of MLB.com. "It's how hard he works and the way he tries to do something different every day. At that age, as smart as he is, his athleticism and the way he approaches the game, it's a no-doubter that he's going to be a superstar.”

Meanwhile, Farrell has been particularly impressed with Betts’ maturity and perpetual willingness to learn, via McCaffrey:

"

The biggest thing that stands out is he feels comfortable in his own skin. So he’s not afraid to make a mistake, not afraid to ask a question that might expose him. He’s asking those questions to improve and hopefully shorten down that natural timeline to be an established major league player. You do that in combination with your abilities and wanting to find out. If a mistake is made, make it be your only time and adjust from there.

"

The baseball world can’t get enough of Betts right now, but it’s only because he keeps giving us more and more to be excited about.

Fans will grow to love Betts (if they don’t already, that is) for his electric playing style and highlight-reel feats. However, the true reason for believing in Betts as a potential “superstar” is because the scouting supports the stats. That’s a great sign for any young player, let alone a 22-year-old already enjoying success at the game’s highest level.

If The Mookie Show were an actual television series, it might be wise for the network to lock up the program for a long, long time.