Mookie Betts’ Jordan cleats, explained: Inside the Dodgers star’s Jordan Brand sponsorship
It must be the shoes.
There are very few MLB players as fashion conscious as Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts. Whether it’s a regular pre-game fit or the red carpet at the All-Star Game, Bett’s fashion sense is only surpassed by his talent on the field.
This is exemplified by the heat Betts has on his feet during game days. When Betts laces up for Tuesday night’s World Baseball Classic finals against Japan, he will be one of a select few MLB players to be sponsored by Jordan Brand, one of the most respected sports labels in the world.
In 2016, during Bett’s rise to superstardom, then-Red Sox teammate David Price, a Jordan Brand-sponsored athlete, was one of only a handful of MLB players to hold that honor. Betts, who was an Under Armor athlete at the time, took inspiration from this.
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“It’s crazy man, because when I see something I want it becomes a motivation, you know?” Betts to MLB.com. “When DP (David Price) told me that you have to earn it, strange as it sounds, that became a motivation for me, even though it was just to be able to go to Jordan Brand.”
As it turned out, it didn’t take long for Betts to make the jump. A hot spell (and a good word from Price, according to MLB.com) during spring training led to the move to Nike, and Betts has stayed with the brand ever since.
Betts made the switch well, cutting .318/.363/.534 with 31 home runs in 2016 and finishing second in MVP voting that year. In 2021, Betts was the only MLB player to also be featured in a Jordan Brand ad:
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Now Betts is one of the highest profile players and top professional athletes to fly the Jordanian flag. Aaron Judge joined Betts in 2022 after a sensational MVP season in which he hit 62 homers.
As the saying goes: look good, feel good, play well, pay well. Betts covers all the bases there.
MLB players signed with Jordan Brand
Aside from Mookie Betts, there aren’t too many current and former MLB players who have been with the Jordan brand:
- Aaron Richter, Yankees
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays
- Manny Machado, Padres
- Aaron Hicks, Yankees
- Taijuan Walker, Phillies
- Derek Jeter, Hall of Famer shortstop
- CC Sabathia, former pitcher
- Yadier Molina, former catcher
- David Price, former pitcher
- Marcus Stroman (formerly at Jordan)