Fact No. 21-30
21. Xander Bogaerts led all AL shortstops with a .320 average, .355 OBP, .776 OPS, 81 RBI, 35 doubles and 4.6 WAR. Somehow he was left all the All-Star team.
22. Bogaerts had to settle for the second-highest batting average in the league, despite recording 51 more hits than Miguel Cabrera, who won the batting title with a .338 average.
23. Only five American League hitters age 22 or younger posted a 4.0+ WAR last season, per Baseball-Reference. The Red Sox have two of those players – Bogaerts and Mookie Betts.
24. The 6.0 WAR that Betts produced was tied for 6th in the league and 4th among AL outfielders. He also was left off the All-Star roster.
25. Brock Holt was the lone representative for the Red Sox at the 2015 All-Star Game.
26. Holt’s .280 average, .727 OPS and 2.6 WAR trailed both Bogaerts and Betts in each category.
27. Holt played 7 different defensive positions last season, including shortstop and center field, which are the primary positions played by Bogaerts and Betts respectively.
28. Betts produced an .823 OPS when hitting first in the order last season, which was 6th in the league from that spot. His 69 RBI hitting at the top of the order led the league among lead-off hitters.
29. Baltimore’s Manny Machado was the only 20/20 hitter in the league last year (35 home runs, 20 steals). Betts was the only other hitter in the league that came close (18 home runs, 21 steals).
30. The Red Sox haven’t had a 20/20 hitter since Jacoby Ellsbury blasted 32 homers and swiped 39 bases in 2011.
Next: Fact No. 31-40