Boston Red Sox: Mookie Betts adds the cycle to his MVP resume

Even in the rare loss from the Boston Red Sox, something amazing still happened. His name is Mookie Betts.

A lot of people think hitting for the cycle is overrated. After Thursday, 320 people have performed the feat. The last member of the Boston Red Sox to do it was Brock Holt in 2015.

While rare, it isn’t as special as an immaculate inning, perfect game, unassisted triple play, some would rather just have a hitter go 3 for 5 with 5 RBI. We call those people nerds.

But that doesn’t make it any less exciting when the best player in baseball hits a home run in the 9th to get it done.

In his fifth at bat of the game, Mookie Betts was just a four-bagger away from joining the list, becoming number 320 and the league’s first this season. On a 3-2 count, he did just that, making a hanging breaking ball his evening dinner. Single in the first, triple in the 2nd, double in the fourth, and then the homer to end it. A little flair for the theatrics.

If you’re a boring person, you probably noticed that the hit counted for just one run and that the Red Sox were still down 8-5. You also probably like Mike Trout, Betts’ main competition for the MVP this season. You probably enjoy watching Trout soullessly jog around the bases after each of his home runs. The way he never smiles and talks about the weather must encapture your full attention. I hope you enjoy your butter on toasted white tomorrow morning.

But if you’re a normal person, chances are you watched Mookie pump his first and point at the dugout once he knew that ball was gone. When one of the most marketable stars in the league is also great, that’s when you get moments like this. People like us, who root for guys like Mookie, we put bread on the butter.

Yes, the Boston Red Sox lost a game, the first time in nearly a week. But even then, their star player gave everyone a reason to watch.

A season to remember

It’s worth noting that Betts’ cycle comes down the home stretch of an incredible season. After today, Mookie’s average sits at .347, and just for kicks he has 27 homers and 59 RBIs.

More from Chowder and Champions

• 3 Midseason Chaim Bloom Decisions That Have Killed the 2023 Red Sox
• 10 Patriots Who Will Be Cut by Tuesday’s Roster Deadline
• MLB Screws Red Sox Fans With Broadcast for Mookie Betts Return
• 3 Most Underpaid Celtics Heading Into the 2023 Season
• Red Sox Continue Rollercoaster Season With Massive Win

His OPS is over 1.000, his slugging percentage is 200 points higher than it’s ever been, and he is one of the top defensive right fielders in the league. Not to mention he and his girlfriend are expecting their first child by the end of the year.

This guy is hitting the stitches off the ball, making diving catches in right, and still finds time to bring a child into this world. I can only imagine he/she will be the most beautiful baby to grace God’s green Earth.

Mookie Betts is the leader of a team that is on pace to win the most games in Boston Red Sox history. He and JD Martinez are terrorizing the league with clutch and pure hitting.

Every night, batting leadoff, wearing number 50, standing in right field, enjoying every second, it’s Mookie Betts. The guy hits for the cycle and it’s not even a Top 5 moment in his season this year.

How do you think John Jaso, number 312, feels about hitting for the cycle? What about Herman Long, number 41, who hit for the cycle in 1896 as a member of the Boston Beaneaters? Well, he’s dead, but still. Those guys look back, or looked back, on their cycles as the highlight of their career. It’s only another Thursday for Mookie Betts.

On Thursday night, Mookie Betts showed us that he remains on top of the world, as if we needed a reminder. That’s what an MVP does.