"I wouldn't even know what to throw" - Mookie Betts confident retired Giants legend won't have any problems in modern game

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts shared his take on a retired San Francisco Giants legend and how he would've fared in the modern game.

On Wednesday, Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes featured on Betts' "On Base" podcast. As Betts asked the young ace who he thought were the best hitters from past generations, Giants legend Barry Bonds was the first name that came to Skenes' mind.

Concurring with Skenes' opinion, Mookie Betts claimed a hitter as good as Bonds would probably do really well in the modern game. The Dodgers' shortstop humorously said he wouldn't have the slightest idea of pitching to Barry Bonds if he had to.

"That would be tough (facing Barry Bonds). I wouldn't even know what to throw. I couldn't even tell you what to throw. Whatever it is, just make it good. Obviously, there are a lot of people that could still hit in today's game. But, I think he (Bonds) would be elite in today's game as well," Betts said [7:21]

Mookie Betts will be looking to win his fourth ring by the end of the year

Having won the World Series thrice already, in 2018 with the Boston Red Sox and in 2020 and 2024 with his current team, the Dodgers, Mookie Betts is still as hungry as ever for more titles.

At the moment, the Dodgers occupy the top spot in their division, leading arch-rivals the San Diego Padres by 2.5 games, and it looks likely they will continue their dominance in the NL West.

Mookie Betts and co. will also be looking to repeat last year's exploits and win another World Series title come October. Priced at +300 to win it all, the Dodgers are still clear favorites for baseball's biggest prize, according to the sportsbooks.

Los Angeles Dodgers World Series Celebration - Source: Getty

Already a player who is considered to have a great chance to make the National Baseball Hall of Fame after he retires, Betts will be extremely motivated to finish the year with a fourth ring, further strengthening his case to make it to Cooperstown in the future.

About the author

Raghav Mehta is a baseball journalist at Sportskeeda awaiting results for a Bachelor's in Journalism from Delhi University. He enjoys highlighting the key battles between players at different stages of the game and analyzing the decisive moments upon which they hinge.

One of Raghav's favorite moments, which underscores this, was the Shohei Ohtani vs. Mike Trout clash in the 2023 WBC, where two of baseball's best players faced off against each other in the 9th inning. With the score 3-2 to Japan, Shohei eventually got the strikeout, which was absolute cinema.

Raghav is a Baltimore Orioles fan and is enjoying watching such an exciting young team compete at the top in a very competitive division.

Raghav has loved watching sports for as long as he can remember and realized he was pretty decent at writing his thoughts down at around the age of 14. Combining the two meant he had something he would enjoy doing every day, and he had identified that well before going to college.

Aside from work, Raghav enjoys playing sports, working out and watching movies.

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Edited by Dipayan Moitra