Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts is no stranger to bright lights. However, before the money and fame, how did he handle minor league life? Unless your skill set and polish automatically earmark you for the majors, which is rare, players will spend some time in the minor leagues.
If the major leagues boast sparkling stadiums and elite amenities, the minors feature the exact opposite. For any player venturing away from home for the first time, the culture of the environment takes adjustment, as it did for the three-time World Series winner.
Dodgers Star Mookie Betts Opens Up About His Introduction to Minor League Baseball
Betts, the versatile engine of the Dodgers’ machine, didn’t always roam the majors making plays at every stadium. Before he took the field in the bigger ballparks, he toiled in front of smaller crowds, riding the bus from town to town. Adjusting to the vibe of a new world took time.
On the “On Base Live” podcast, he sat down with San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill. During their 52-minute conversation, the National League Western Division rivals discussed a myriad of topics. The social media account Dodgers Nation tweeted a clip.
Mookie Betts avoided taking showers in the locker room after games when he first got to the minor leagues and got fined in the process 😭
Via @BleacherReport @BRWalkoff pic.twitter.com/cRFeVWfCqO
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) June 12, 2025
For example, Betts introduced the subject of playing in the minors in hilarious fashion. The seven-time All-Star’s smirking delivery makes the story pop.
“For my experience, I had nobody,” he said. “There were guys speaking Spanish. I haven’t heard Spanish before. After the game, I’m like, ‘Y’all shower? What do you mean? I’ll shower when I get back to the house. I remember I did not shower the first time, and then they were like, ‘Man, you gotta shower.’ I went and got swimming trunks. It took them fining me before I actually showered. It was a complete culture shock for me.
Minor league baseball will humble players. In that locker room, no one cares what round the team drafted you in. No one cares what college awards you won or even if you went to college. The coaches want the team to perform well, but that is not their overarching goal. Upper management wants to see player development.
According to Baseball Reference, Betts spent parts of five years in the minor league, hitting .316 with a sparkling on-base percentage of .408. As he spoke with Merrill, you could sense the nostalgia mixed with humor. Minor league baseball becomes the proving ground for players, swimming trunks and all.