Red Sox: What about Xander Bogaerts?
Let’s not forget, Xander Bogaerts has been one of the most dominant hitters, not only in the Red Sox lineup, but the entire league.
As the Red Sox take the top spot in the American League East, and solidify themselves as a playoff contender, many defining subplots of the 2016 season have begun to take shape: Jackie Bradley Jr.’s hit streak, the apparent immortality of David Ortiz, the first year of David Price‘s dominance in a Red Sox uniform, the emergence of Travis Shaw, and Hanley Ramirez‘s exceedance of the lowest expectations in the history of Major League Baseball.
With all of the aforementioned events dominating media coverage of the Boston Red Sox, one must ask, what about Xander Bogaerts?
It seems as though after a slow start to the year, many have forgotten about the young shortstop, who has recorded All-Star caliber numbers in recent weeks.
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Bogaerts currently has a .349 batting average, just .001 below Bradley Jr., and has an eighteen game hit streak of his own. His batting average in the month of May is .406, up from .290 in April. And of his season totals, Bogaerets has collected 66 hits, 26 RBI and five home runs.
In May of last year, Bogaerts recorded a .275 batting average, 25 hits, 7 RBIs, and one home run. Translation: he’s a man on fire.
When it comes to MLB-wide batting statistics, Bogaerts currently has the fourth highest batting average, second most hits, the fifth most doubles, the sixth highest WAR, and the twelfth highest on base percentage. In the American League, he sits in each of those categories at second, first, fourth, fifth, and fourth, respectively.
And in many of those categories, he is either trailing or slightly leading over fellow teammates like Bradley Jr., Ortiz, and Shaw.
Next: Who is leading off for the Red Sox?
While they certainly need another pitcher, it is clear that the Red Sox offense is one of, if not the most, dominant in all of Major League Baseball and has made them a favorite to emerge victorious from their division.