Betts joins rare company with 3rd World Series title

NEW YORK — Mookie Betts just might be getting used to this.

He’s now a three-time World Series champion. And, no, it doesn’t get old.

For now, he’s the only active position player to win three World Series rings, having won previous titles with the 2018 Red Sox and ’20 Dodgers. Righty reliever Joe Kelly, who is out with a right shoulder injury, earned his third ring as well. The pair joined Royals reliever Will Smith — no, not the Dodgers catcher, although this does make five straight years that a Will Smith has won a ring — as the only active players with three World Series titles.

Amid the champagne celebrations afterward, Kelly approached Betts as he was doing interviews. He raised three fingers and then mimicked a ring. Then doused Betts with a bottle of Budweiser.

“Probably my favorite group of guys I’ve been around, and I’ve been a part of some really great teams, with a bunch of really good characters,” Betts said. “But this team right here, man, I love each and every one of them.”

Betts had himself a solid, if unspectacular series against the Yankees. He was fantastic defensively (not to mention his catch up the right-field line in Game 4 while battling a pair of fans who attempted to pry the ball from his glove).

Betts batted .278 while reaching base at a .348 clip. Most notably, Betts delivered the go-ahead RBI in Wednesday’s clincher — an eighth-inning sacrifice fly off Yankees righty Luke Weaver.

“He’s one of the guys I’m really excited for,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “Because going into the postseason, he’s one of the guys talked about that didn’t perform. To be able to block out all that noise and still focus on helping us win baseball games, there’s not a guy that cares more.”

Funny to think about in hindsight — given that Betts is now the only active hitter with three championships. But as Roberts noted, Betts received plenty of criticism entering the playoffs because of his struggles during the Dodgers’ two recent Division Series exits. He went a combined 2-for-25 against the Padres in 2022 and the Diamondbacks in ’23.

But Betts delivered two crucial home runs against the Padres in this year’s edition of the NLDS, then two more against the Mets in the NL Championship Series.

“He’s a very talented player,” Roberts said. “Hopefully we can keep this narrative quiet for a little bit because he did everything — and played both sides of the baseball. He made some big plays defensively, and offensively he came up big.”

Betts has accomplished an awful lot during his 11 seasons in the big leagues. He’s won an MVP Award and a batting title and reached eight All-Star Games. But adding a third World Series ring is surely at the top of his list.

“It’s cool,” said Betts. “We’ll enjoy it tonight. Then go after it again next year.”