MLB superstar Mookie Betts tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend in California Wednesday.
Betts — born Markus Lynn Betts — and Brianna Hammonds, 29, wed in an intimate oceanside ceremony in Rancho Palos Verdes, TMZ reports. According to the outlet, rapper Nelly was among the notable guests who attended, which included Betts’ Dodgers manager, Dave Roberts, and teammates Justin Turner, Chris Taylor, Joe Kelly, Kenley Jansen, and Heisman winner Eddie George.
Betts held a pre-wedding celebration at Dodger Stadium on Monday with Hammonds and their family and close friends. Earlier this year, the Dodgers slugger proposed to Hammonds after 15 years together, theGrio reported. According to PEOPLE, the 29-year-old got down on one knee in front of family and friends in Nashville to pop the question.
The 2020 LegaCCy Award winner proposed with a seven-carat diamond. He told Hammonds they were going to dinner to celebrate his award, bestowed by the PitCCh In Foundation founded by former Yankees star CC Sabathia and his wife, Amber.
While at the dinner, Betts staged a ceremony to accept his award before calling Hammonds to join him on stage. He read her a romantic poem and surprised her with the ring.
“Brianna has been by my side since we were teenagers,” said Betts to People at the time. “Together we’ve grown mentally, physically, and spiritually. She is my best friend, mother of my child, my lover, and my soon-to-be wife. “
The couple met in middle school, began dating in high school, and welcomed their first child together, a daughter, in November 2018.
“Never knew what unconditional love meant or how it felt until I met this little princess,” the proud papa captioned photos of his new baby girl at the time. “Nov 6th 2018 is a day I’ll never forget❤️”
Betts is a two-time World Series champ and a five-time All-Star. He played for the Red Sox from 2014 to 2019. In July 2020, he signed a 12-year extension with the Los Angeles Dodgers worth $365 million.
Most recently, Betts gave an encouraging update last month about his right hip injury, noting that his road to recovery is going better than expected.
“It feels great,” Betts said. “I have to get a checkup one more time to make sure everything is going good, but right now, yeah, everything is going great.”
Betts spent months playing with the injury before landing on the injured list in July and again in August. He initially thought he would require surgery this offseason but was relieved when doctors told him it wasn’t necessary.
“It’s surprising, but it’s also not because it did feel good towards the end of the year. I’m trying to stay out from under the knife,” Betts said.
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