After signing a Minor League contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers during the offseason, David Bote has been impressing thus far in Spring Training.
Bote still faces an uphill battle to make the talented roster, but he’s doing everything in his power to make the club. In 20 at-bats so far, Bote is hitting .500 with two home runs, nine RBI and a 1.424 on-base plus slugging percentage.
The 31-year-old looks plenty comfortable on and off the field. He credits that to the welcoming environment the Dodgers have, specifically noting how important Mookie Betts has been in that.
“Playing with Buschy, Belli, played with J-Hey before he came here, from afar you see what they do year in and year out, and you hear from other players around the league about the Dodgers,” Bote began. “They’re like, ‘People are great and treat you well.’ I’m like, alright, I’m in. It’s been awesome. I definitely see it.
“From Day 1, Mookie Betts was so welcoming. When you have a guy like that, the caliber of his player, the pedigree, the baseball card, all the things, and he’s like, ‘You’re of us.’ That instantly makes you feel welcomed. From front office down, I felt the same way.”
Bote spent parts of six seasons in the Majors with the Chicago Cubs, appearing in 421 games, while hitting .234/.318/.392 with 36 home runs. Bote’s best season came in 2019 when he played in 127 games, while hitting .257/.362/.422 with 11 home runs, 47 runs scored and 41 RBI.
Since then, he’s had mixed results and has bounced between the Triple-A and MLB levels. The 2021 season proved to be Bote’s biggest challenge, hitting just .199 in 97 games, but he somewhat rebounded in more limited roles in 2022 and 2024.
He spent the entire 2023 season in Triple-A after being removed from the 40-man roster during the 2022 season.
The Dodgers are comfortable using Bote at second base and both corner infield spots, and with their ongoing battle for a starting job at second or center field, he could make a push for that role.
However, simply making the team would be a significant step for Bote before looking ahead to a starting role.
David Bote values Dodgers hitting coaches
Bote attributes his newfound success to the work he has put in with the Dodgers hitting coaches, and outlined the incremental process that goes into making changes to a swing.
“Working with RVS (Robert Van Scoyoc), (Aaron) Bates and all the hitting guys, they’re the best in the business,” Bote said.
“Seeing it from afar and now being able to come over and access those minds, how they work over here has been awesome. They’re the best in the business for a reason. It’s just been really cool to work on some things and see the results of it.
“It definitely takes a lot of time and work. The first thing they say is you’ll get out what you put into it. They had a couple things to work and feel, and over time you check boxes if it works on flips, works on BP, works off machines, the Trajekt, live BP. You kind of scaffold it, basically. It’s been part of the process.”
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