Red Sox right fielder Betts wins American League batting title at .346

With a 1-for-2 performance Sunday, Boston Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts clinched the American League batting title.

With a 1-for-2 performance Sunday, Boston Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts clinched the American League batting title.

In the bottom of the first inning against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park, Betts singled up the middle. After popping out the following inning, he left the game in the third

He ends the season batting .346.

Betts becomes the first member of the Red Sox to win the batting championship since Bill Mueller did so in 2003 with a .326 average, which ended a run of batting success at Fenway Park. Between 1983 and 2003, Red Sox players won nine batting titles: Wade Boggs (five), Nomar Garciaparra (two), Manny Ramirez (one) and Mueller (one).

Last season, Betts hit .264. A five-year veteran, he has a career .303 average and is a three-time All-Star. He turns 26 next week.

He has hit higher than .300 each full month this season except for June when he hit .290.

"He's been very consistent since Day One," manager Alex Cora said, according to MLB.com. "He was 0-for-16 in spring training and the sky was falling. He was like panicking. But he's been great, very consistent with his approach, and it's amazing what he does on a daily basis."