Shortstop
Jul 24, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Detroit Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias (1) turns a double play as Boston Red Sox first baseman Mike Napoli (R) slides during the fourth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
Red Sox – Xander Bogaerts
.314/.341/.409 3 HR 54 RBI
Former Red Sox – Jose Iglesias
.304/.346/.381 2 HR 21 RBI
The development took a few seasons where the bat had to catch up with that remarkable glove, but the wait was worth it. Iglesias is the best defensive SS in the American League and he can hit. Think about the slow development process when tracking the minor league career of Yoan Moncada.
In Boston Iglesias slashed .280/.333/.356 and the constant message was this was a baseball mirage – he can’t have progressed that far with the bat? Jose did.
Iglesias became expendable when the Red Sox needed pitching, had Drew available and Bogaerts in the wings as a top ranked prospect. In the short-term, it worked and that WS banner proves that. But both Iglesias and Bogaerts had a forgettable 2014 season. For Iglesias it was a season lost to injury and for Bogaerts it was MLB growing pains.
Both players will be All-Stars for a long time. What I look at is the superior glove work of Iglesias enough to off-set the dynamic RISP production of Bogaerts?
EDGE – Bogaerts