Originally published by DodgerBlue.com
Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts was once again ranked among the top shortstops in MLB heading into the 2026 season by MLB Network’s The Shredder.
For the second straight year, The Shredder ranked Betts as the fifth-best shortstop in the league. He has previously been included in the rankings for right field and second base.
Ahead of Betts are Bobby Witt Jr. (Kansas City Royals), Corey Seager (Texas Rangers), Francisco Lindor (New York Mets) and Gunnar Henderson (Baltimore Orioles).
The same group was also ahead of Betts last year, but Witt took the top spot this year and flipped places with Henderson, who now ranks fourth.
Although Betts is coming off a down season on offense, The Shredder considers the past three seasons as well.
In 2025, Betts hit just .258/.326/.406 with 20 home runs, 95 runs scored, 82 RBI and a 104 wRC+ with 3.4 WAR. But over the last three years combined, he’s hit .284/.369/.492 with 78 home runs, 296 runs, 264 RBI and 14.3 WAR.
Betts did make his mark on defense last season, proving himself as one of the elite defensive shortstops in the game, despite his short time at the position.
Betts ranked in the 91st percentile of defenders with six outs above average (OAA). That also ranked him eighth among all MLB shortstops.
He also posted 17 defensive runs saved, which led all MLB shortstops and was four more than the Los Angeles Angels’ Zach Neto, who finished second.
The Dodgers are now looking for Betts to bounce back with his bat in 2026. If that happens, he would likely be in the MVP conversation, which is something manager Dave Roberts expects to happen.
Betts spent the offseason reworking his swing and trying to rediscover the bat speed he lost last year. The 33-year-old said he zeroed in on doing the things he excels at rather than completely changing his swing mechanics.
The changes have led to Betts getting his bat speed back and feeling more confident at the plate. With improved bat speed, he’s able to drive the ball better and doesn’t have to commit at a pitch as early.
He also expressed that he’s feeling the best he has in quite some time. “I feel like I did work smarter this offseason,” Betts said. “And I feel like I’m in a really good spot.”
MLB Top-10 Shortstops Right Now for 2026
| Rank | The Shredder | Brian Kenny |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bobby Witt Jr. (Royals) | Bobby Witt Jr. (Royals) |
| 2 | Corey Seager (Rangers) | Gunnar Henderson (Orioles) |
| 3 | Francisco Lindor (Mets) | Francisco Lindor (Mets) |
| 4 | Gunnar Henderson (Orioles) | Geraldo Perdomo (Diamondbacks) |
| 5 | Mookie Betts (Dodgers) | Corey Seager (Rangers) |
| 6 | Geraldo Perdomo (Diamondbacks) | Trea Turner (Phillies) |
| 7 | Trea Turner (Phillies) | Mookie Betts (Dodgers) |
| 8 | Jeremy Peña (Astros) | Elly De La Cruz (Reds) |
| 9 | Elly De La Cruz (Reds) | Dansby Swanson (Cubs) |
| 10 | Zach Neto (Angels) | Zach Neto (Angels) |
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