It's gotta be the shoes.
There are very few MLB players as fashion-forward as Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts. Whether it's a regular pregame fit or the red carpet at the All-Star Game, Betts' fashion sense is rivaled only by his on-field talent.
That's exemplified by the heat that Betts has on his feet during gamedays. When Betts laces up his cleats for the World Baseball Classic final vs. Japan on Tuesday night, he'll be one of a handful of MLB players to be sponsored by one of the world's most prestigious athletic labels, Jordan Brand.
In 2016, during Betts' ascent to superstardom, then-Red Sox teammate David Price was a Jordan Brand-sponsored athlete, one of just a handful of MLB players to hold that distinction. Betts, who had been an Under Armour athlete at the time, took inspiration from that.
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"It’s crazy, man, because when I see something that I want, it becomes a motivation, you know?" Betts told MLB.com. "When DP (David Price) told me you have to earn it, as weird as it sounds, that became a motivation for me, even though it was just to be able to go to Jordan Brand."
As it turns out, it didn't take long for Betts to make the jump. A hot stretch (and a good word from Price, according to MLB.com) during spring training led to the switch over to Nike, and Betts has remained with the brand ever since.
Betts made good on the switch: He slashed .318/.363/.534 with 31 home runs in 2016, finishing second in MVP voting that year. In 2021, Betts was the only MLB player featured in a Jordan Brand ad, too:
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Now, Betts is one of the highest-profile players and best pro athletes to fly the Jordan flag. Aaron Judge joined Betts in 2022 following his sensational MVP season in which he smashed 62 home runs.
As the saying goes: Look good, feel good, play good, paid good. Betts covers all the bases there.
MLB players signed to Jordan Brand
Along with Mookie Betts, there aren't too many MLB players, current and former, who have been with the Jordan brand:
- Aaron Judge, Yankees
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays
- Manny Machado, Padres
- Aaron Hicks, Yankees
- Taijuan Walker, Phillies
- Derek Jeter, Hall of Fame shortstop
- C.C. Sabathia, former pitcher
- Yadier Molina, former catcher
- David Price, former pitcher
- Marcus Stroman (formerly with Jordan)
