Over the last several seasons, the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers have been fighting for the National League title. Every year, these two teams are the favorites to win it all. Even with the on-field battles, some of the players build bonds off the diamond.
Over the weekend, Michael Harris II revealed that he is being mentored by a player from a bitter rival, which may shock some fans. Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts has been providing support for Harris in life. According to David O'Brien of The Athletic (subscription required) the Atlanta Braves center fielder had this to say about Betts:
“He’s been good to me. He’s been a real good leader to me, just trying to keep my head on straight and teach me some different ways to go about life and stuff.”
Mookie Betts' mentorship of Michael Harris II bodes well
We all know that Michael Harris II has a lot of success on the field, winning Rookie of the Year in 2022 and putting up more impressive numbers in 2023 after a slight slump to begin the season.
Heard this from Michael Harris II this weekend: Dodgers star Mookie Betts has become a mentor for the young #Braves CF. "He's been good to me. He's been a real good leader to me, just trying to keep my head on straight and teach me some different ways to go about life and stuff."
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) January 29, 2024
With two years under his belt in the big leagues and signing an 8-year/$72 million dollar deal, Harris decided that now is the time to work on changing some things in his personal life as well.
During this off-season, Michael Harris took to one knee and proposed to his girlfriend. When asked about his recent engagement, Harris said this: “Yeah, that was a thing. That was five seconds of nervousness once I was in action. Yeah, that was cool. I mean I’m glad I decided to put my big boy pants on for that and do it.”
Mookie Betts, a 7X All-Star and AL MVP winner is not only known for being one of the best players in baseball but for being one of the most liked professional athletes in the country thanks to his fun and outgoing personality.
Betts knows all about being a young star put under pressure to perform from the moment he stepped on the field in Boston. MHII has shown the ability to adapt well on and off the field but it doesn't hurt to learn from a peer who has been through all of it. He is the perfect person to help Money Mike take another step up in his career.
Oftentimes we get caught up in baseball and forget that all of the players we root for are human and have a personal life. Trying to balance that personal life with the grind of an MLB season can be difficult. Having a baseball icon like Mookie Betts, who is a perennial MVP candidate, mentoring Harris on how to find that balance could lead to even more success for the Braves center fielder who is coming into his third season in Atlanta.
Betts and Harris II sat down a few months ago and had a conversation on the On Base podcast from Bleacher Report. It's a great conversation and I encourage you to give it a listen.