Sometimes, the biggest moves in sports don’t involve a bat swing, a game-winning catch, or a record-breaking contract. They are quiet, off-field sacrifices. These are the moments that never make the headlines, but truly transform the team’s future. This one? It began with a conversation and ended with a team-altering decision. Behind a star-studded Dodgers, a powerful $66 million transformation was halted—not by management, but by Mookie Betts, a leader who wasn’t ready to lose the soul of the team. 

The $66 million worth Teoscar Hernández, fresh off a strong season and a HR Derby crown, was fielding plenty of requests. However, before the star could even consider testing other waters, Betts had a word with him. And you won’t believe—he didn’t just ask him to stay, changed positions to make it happen. 

“You are a huge reason why I am playing short. I wanted you to come back,” Betts told Hernández on his On Base with Mookie Betts podcast. That statement? It wasn’t just words. It was a strategic sacrifice. Betts left right field, where he had earned Gold Gloves and looked right at home, to shortstop. It’s a position he hadn’t played regularly since high school. He did it not because it was easy or because the analytics demanded it, but because he believed Hernández made the team better. That kind of selflessness is rare in any sport—especially from a former MVP.

But it wasn’t just the position change that brought Hernández back to the Dodgers; it was the environment. As he sat across from Betts on his podcast, he didn’t talk about money or titles. Instead, they talked about people. “I never felt that before,” Hernández said, highlighting how the team treated every star like family. He also appreciated the brotherhood and said, “You guys were there for everybody—not just for me.” That kind of respect? You don’t walk away from it.

What sealed it was watching how LA’s leaders operated. “When you see Mookie, when you see Freddie and Kershaw… four MVPs—the way they work, the way they prepare—it is crazy,” Hernández stated. It wasn’t the accolades, it was the grind. Everyone—from top stars to bench players—carried themselves the same way. That’s when it clicked for him. The team wasn’t just building rosters, they were building something rare. Hernández admitted he almost gave up on baseball back in 2011. But this time? He wasn’t leaving—not this team, not this brotherhood.

Mookie Bett’s voice, value, and others’ thoughts

Once you are the star who convinces a $66 million slugger to return—confidence becomes less of a trait and more of a resume line. Betts wears it well. When asked who the best athlete on the team is, he didn’t blink and replied, “Me. It is not even a competition.” That wasn’t a jab at Shohei Ohtani or any other star. It was him doubling down on what he brings to the table—cooperation, adaptability, and elite instincts. From making perfect plays to seamlessly moving between the outfield and shortstop, his versatility is remarkable.

It is not just self-hype. In an informal poll by The Athletic, most of his teammates in the Dodgers agreed—Betts, not Ohtani, is the best athlete on the team. Chris Taylor even called him “one of the best athletes I have ever played with, if not the best“. Think about that. In a clubhouse featuring Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Clayton Kershaw—guys with MVPs, Cy Youngs, and All-Star belts—Betts is the one they point to for raw, natural ability. Still, Ohtani’s eye-popping numbers—50 homers and 50 stolen bases in 2023—don’t diminish what Betts means inside the clubhouse.

Betts didn’t just change positions, he made a culture-defining move. His leadership, sacrifice, and approach have established an environment of loyalty. In a team full of stars, it is his star power that convinced a teammate to change his decision and reinforced a winning identity rooted in brotherhood.