Red Sox hitting coach Tim Hyers thought he had an idea of what kind of player Mookie Betts would become when they first started working together in 2013. At the time, Hyers was the organization’s roving hitting instructor and Betts was one of the brightest prospects.
"It was easy to see the talent back then," Hyers said. "It was so easy to see the quickness in his hands and that electric kind of body he brings to the table. You knew that would play in the big leagues. That was something that was easy to see in the beginning and just his barrel-to-ball skills. Being able to square up so many balls consistently was something that’s very impressive."
Though Hyers is an expert at evaluating hitters, he now can admit he didn’t see the entire picture of what Betts would become.
"I did not see this type of power," Hyers said. "I thought, you know, 15 jacks type of guy. A good year would be 20, conservatively."
