Although 2023 Opening Day is more than three months away, many Los Angeles Dodgers players have already begun preparing for the season.
After a historic 2022 regular season, the Dodgers suffered an early exit from the playoffs in getting eliminated by the San Diego Padres in the National League Division Series. Now, their focus is on making sure that doesn’t happen again.
Mookie Betts had a 2022 season that again placed him among the top players in baseball, and it was a great sign following an injury-riddled 2021 campaign. He is now looking to improve upon his results from this past season and has started training at Driveline Baseball.
Driveline is a data-driven training facility that was established in 2008 and has rapidly grown in popularity in recent years.
It’s not “work” when you love it 💪🏽 pic.twitter.com/YMq05n3GaM
— Mookie Betts (@mookiebetts) December 9, 2022
They use science and technology, including motion capture assessments, physical therapy evaluations, and specialized assessment-retest-based pitching, hitting and high-performance coaching, to help players optimize their mechanics and performance.
Among some of the previous notable Dodgers players they helped are Clayton Kershaw, Kenley Jansen, Joe Kelly and Alex Wood. All four players spoke positively about their experience training there, and the results were shown in the following seasons.
The Dodgers have also built a strong relationship with the academy, previously hiring coaches and trainers away from them, and even signing former intern Bradley Gonzales to a Minor League contract. Their most notable Driveline hire has been Rob Hill, who was promoted to the team’s director of Minor League pitching earlier this year.
Hill became well known among MLB pitchers and executives for his work at the training facility, and he was hired by L.A. in 2020 as their pitching coordinator while they still allowed him to work at Driveline.
Mookie Betts & Brianna expecting second child
Betts and his wife Brianna announced they are expecting their second child, but they did not provide a due date. Betts is now the fourth member of the Dodgers to make such an announcement this offseason.
The 30-year-old joined Caleb Ferguson, Cody Bellinger and Max Muncy in sharing baby news since the regular season concluded. Bellinger revealed he and girlfriend Chase Carter are having a second child while he was still under contract with the Dodgers.
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