Dodgers News: JD Martinez Told Mookie Betts Before The Season He’d Win MVP Award

In their time with the Boston Red Sox, Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez became good friends. This year, Betts had some serious influence on Martinez becoming a Los Angeles Dodger in the offseason. Both Betts and Martinez have had phenomenal seasons since being reunited.

On Tuesday, Betts revealed that Martinez motivated him during spring training to set a high goal to reach his enormous potential.

“He told me when he first signed. ‘Hey we’re gonna get you that,’” Betts said regarding the MVP award. “That was kind of like a motivation thing to start the season. You set goals, right? You set goals and you want to achieve them. Do the goals matter at the end of the day, especially the personal ones? Not really. But it was a goal that was set at the beginning and you kind of forget about it until the time comes.”

Betts is having an extraordinary season. Normally, he would be running away with the National League MVP, but Ronald Acuña, Jr., of the Atlanta Braves is having a history-making season.

If the award is for a team’s most valuable player, Betts has it locked up. If it is for the best player, Acuña may have a case.

Betts plays Gold Glove defense both at second base and in right field. He needs one more home run to have 40, which would be a career-high and the most ever out of the leadoff spot. He has 105 RBI out of the leadoff spot, which is already an MLB record.

If Betts needed encouragement from Martinez to reach his potential, the Dodgers need to thank Martinez for everything he’s done for LA this season, both on and off the field.

Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

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