Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts is set to participate in his first Home Run Derby on Monday Night. He was asked about it, and got brutally honest about his own skillset, saying that he didn’t like his chances to win the event.
Betts isn’t traditionally seen as a true power hitter, but he has certainly shown off that side of his game this season. He reached the All-Star break with 26 home runs, which is tied for the most of anyone in this year’s Home Run Derby.
Despite this, Betts seemingly doesn’t like his chances to win the event. In a video shared by SportsCenter on Twitter, he revealed that his chances to win “aren’t zero”.
“I think my chances are pretty low,” Betts said which got a laugh out of the reporter asking the question. “Pretty low, but you know, they aren’t zero. We’ll just leave it at that, they aren’t zero.”
It’s pretty surprising to see a former MVP downplay his skills so much in an interview. It could just be him being humble, but his excellent hitting skills give him a far better chance to win the contest than he may even believe.
While most fans are giving him a chance, the betting odds for the event actually tend to agree with Mookie’s assessment of himself.
Betts sits as the second least likely participant to win the event, sitting only ahead of Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman, at +1200 to win the Home Run Derby.
Home Run Derby odds, per @BetMGM:
Pete Alonso: +300 Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: +350 Luis Robert Jr.: +450 Julio Rodríguez: +500 Adolis García: +650 Randy Arozarena: +1000 Mookie Betts: +1200 Adley Rutschman: +2000 Follow along live: https://t.co/Wtjnr7KXEN pic.twitter.com/NkkvXua5qm
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) July 10, 2023