Ex-Red Sox Mookie Betts Vocalizes Desire Before Boston Return

When the Red Sox and the Dodgers meet at Fenway Park this weekend, Mookie Betts hopes the bulk of the attention will be on the matchup between storied organizations.

This might be wishful thinking from Betts, who undoubtedly will be the biggest attraction for the interleague series. The Red Sox-Dodgers set will mark Betts’ first time playing in Boston since he was traded to Los Angeles in February 2020. A 2011 fifth-round pick by the Red Sox, Betts played the first six seasons of his Major League Baseball career in Boston, where he earned four All-Star selections, the 2018 American League MVP Award and won the ’18 World Series.

Betts deserves the attention he will receive, but the soft-spoken superstar isn’t itching for the spotlight.

“I just want it to be about baseball,” Betts told The Boston Globe. “I know it’s going to be cool, but I don’t want it to be about me. But it is what it is and I’ll be grateful for whatever happens.”

Betts admitted he’s “nervous” to return to Boston, as it’s been several years since he stepped foot on his old stomping grounds. However, the 30-year-old believes the reunion will be “fun” and he’s excited to reunite with the people who helped make the first chapter of his MLB career so memorable.