Though the Red Sox have been one in every of baseball’s greater scoring groups to start out the season, fairly just a few regulars have gotten off to gradual begins. Through Tuesday 5 of the membership’s on a regular basis gamers had been hitting under .200 and over the previous two weeks the lineup as a complete has collectively struggled.
One factor you received’t hear any complaints about, nevertheless, is the job Alex Verdugo has performed because the membership’s leadoff hitter.
Verdugo has gotten off to a terrific begin, batting a team-high .348 with a career-best .416 on-base share via Boston’s first 18 video games. He got here up massive once more in Tuesday’s 5-4 win over the Minnesota Twins, going 3 for five with a stroll, a double, a run scored and the walk-off single down the proper subject line to clinch the wild Red Sox victory.
All advised, he’s been every part the Red Sox may have hoped for.
“He’s a different guy,” stated Red Sox supervisor Alex Cora. “He’s shifting properly, placing good at bats, hitting the ball laborious, working laborious, taking part in good protection, his arm is taking part in once more.
“This is the guy people envisioned a few years ago,” he continued. “Hopefully this can continue this season and help us win a lot of games.”
Cora stated final 12 months Verdugo fell into an identical entice as Andrew Benintendi in 2019, specializing in hitting for energy on the expense of his pure capacity to spray line drives to all fields. Now Verdugo is again to being the perfect model of himself, and the 26-year-old outfielder stated he feels his skillset meshes properly with the obligations that historically include hitting leadoff.
“I’ve hit leadoff before so I already understood what needed to be done and what it takes,” stated Verdugo, who has began 46 video games at leadoff in his profession and 12 of 18 video games this season. “I feel like when you’re hitting you don’t really think about it, when you’re making it a big deal that’s when it becomes ‘oh should I be taking pitches, should I be swinging first pitch?’ For me, I go up there and try to have a good at bat.”
One factor that’s additionally helped, Verdugo stated, is the expertise of taking part in within the World Baseball Classic. Traditionally Verdugo stated he’s been vulnerable to gradual begins, however by taking part in high-pressure baseball throughout Team Mexico’s run to the semifinals he was in a position to work via a lot of his common early-season points.
Even although he hit .130 within the event, he felt like he was in a position to acquire some momentum heading into the common season.
“I felt like when the team needed me with a good at bat, a clutch walk, a clutch hit, something to tie the game or get us closer or put us ahead, I kind of came through in that spot and that gave me some reassurance,” Verdugo stated. “I felt like that was maybe my slow start in-season, I got it out of the way there, so now it’s like in-season I was able to get back, get my body right, get my mind right and get my swing right and I just feel like it’s kind of taking off right now.”
Though it’s nonetheless early, Verdugo has to this point answered the problem Cora issued him on the finish of final season to take the subsequent step as a ballplayer. He’s not solely been one in every of Boston’s high all-around place gamers, however Cora stated he’s additionally made spectacular strides within the clubhouse.
“He’s been great,” Cora stated. “Talking in regards to the pitchers, watching movies and serving to Casas out and everyone else, all of the lefties.
“He’s becoming a guy,” he added, “and we’re very proud of that.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com