Andrew Benintendi homered to proper in his first at-bat in opposition to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday at Camelback Ranch.
The journey across the bases was good. But for Benintendi, the third at-bat of the day stood out when the Chicago White left fielder reached on a fielder’s selection on a ball fielded by shortstop Miguel Rojas.
“My last at-bat was the bat I was most excited about, hitting a ball to the six-hole,” Benintendi mentioned Saturday. “(Rojas) made a pleasant play.
“That’s what I was trying to do. Focus on what I’m trying to do instead of results. Because if you chase results in spring training, it is just going to (tick) you off.”
Benintendi mentioned his swing “feels pretty good” as he ramps up for the season.
“This spring more than others, I’m not really focused on results as much as feel,” he mentioned. “I really feel like I’m recognizing pitches, not getting fooled too many instances.
“(It’s) just stick with an approach, kind of stay inside the ball. For me, at least, my feedback is how I hit the ball. If it’s like topspin, that’s the last thing I want to see. I’m just trying to backspin balls and hit line drives.”
Benintendi noticed that within the leadoff house run, his first of the spring.
“That was perfect,” he mentioned. “I’ve been working on trying to pull the ball to the right side in the air. That was perfect backspin, so that was good to see.”
Benintendi is hitting .208 this spring however has 4 hits, 4 walks and two RBIs in his final six video games. He had an RBI single on a liner to left in opposition to the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday in Goodyear, Ariz.
Benintendi, 28, is in his first season with the Sox after signing a five-year deal introduced in early January. He completed sixth within the American League with a .304 common final season for the Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees.
Sox supervisor Pedro Grifol mentioned there’s a belief issue and powerful communication with a veteran like Benintendi, who’s coming into his eighth season.
“I don’t look for anything with (Benintendi’s spring offensive approach),” Grifol mentioned Sunday. “I’m comfortable with what he tells me.”
The two have been collectively throughout Benintendi’s time with the Royals in 2021-22.
“He knows his swing, he knows the way he feels,” Grifol mentioned. “If he tells me he’s in a great place, he’s in a great place. The solely factor I do is typically I’ll problem him a bit of bit. I feel he performed 4 days in a row with one rain date (on Wednesday). And he’ll by no means say, ‘No, I don’t need to play.’
“He’s always ready to play and he’ll play as much as you want him to play. He’s a good communicator and he knows his body. He’s a professional. He’s been around the block a few times. Whatever he’s telling me, I’m completely comfortable with it and trust him.”
While Benintendi led off Saturday, he has hit third in most video games this spring. Wherever he’s slotted within the order, Benintendi mentioned, “nothing changes.”
“My approach stays the same,” he mentioned. “If I hit third, I wish it automatically got me 35 home runs, but that’s not going to happen. Nothing changes — (the approach is) line drives.”
With the tip of camp in sight, Benintendi is targeted on persevering with to see progress.
“At this point everybody’s legs are starting to get under them,” Benintendi mentioned. “That initial soreness and things like that is moving out, and this next week and a half, yeah, full throttle. Get ready to go.”
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