Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star Mookie Betts said he felt more comfortable in the position after playing 65 games for the team last season as he prepares for a full season with the World Championships.

Bates, 32, who played as a shortstop for the Dodgers' first two games of spring training on Thursday and Friday, left feeling more prepared than ever.

"I felt great," Bates said at halftime against the Chicago Cubs on Friday, "and I felt like the work was well done and the process was great." I have to put my heart and soul into it, do it the right way and hopefully it will show up in the game. ”

After the Dodgers signed Michael Conforto and re-signed Teoscar Hernandez in the offseason, Bates needed to return to the shortstop position. The arrival of Tommy Edman in the middle of last season made the Dodgers' outfield crowded.

Bates played 81 games as a shortstop in his 11-year career, all of which have taken place in the last two seasons. But it wasn't until this winter that he was able to really get to the bottom of the nuances of the position.