Red Sox Mookie Betts Looking To Break Out
Why should Jackie Bradley Jr. have all the fun? Boston Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts is primed to unleash a storm to add to the already potent offense.
It wasn’t too long ago that Betts, not Bradley Jr., who was gracing center field for the Red Sox and bashing runs in left and right. While a great deal has been made of his fellow teammate’s recent success, Betts has been contributing to the cause in smaller doses. This situation, however, is likely to change, to the benefit of Red Sox Nation.
Last night, Betts blew the flood gates open on Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel in the sixth inning, blasting a three-run homer over in left-center field. The Red Sox later added to the lead and won 11-1. Yet, being the lead-off man, Betts cannot be satisfied with the performance, as he only went 1-for-5 at the plate and didn’t even earn a walk. Sure, the home run is great for him and the team; it’s also only adding to the problem of his .253 batting average this season.
A .293 on-base percentage is by no means a terrible total, but a lead-off hitter wants to be on the base paths as much as he can.
The 23-year-old righty bat from Tennessee hit .291/.341/.479 last season, stealing 21 bases and crossing the plate 92 times, wreaking havoc on the diamond for opposing pitchers. He was caught stealing only six times. He also cranked 18 home runs, 77 RBIs, and hit .333 with runners in scoring position.
This season, Betts has stolen seven bases already but he has hit much less often to get on base. His .303 average with runners in scoring position is still great, especially with the back end of the lineup like Bradley Jr. getting on base more often, so nobody can say that Betts isn’t still contributing. It’s just not what his job was supposed to be when the season started.
The Red Sox don’t need to get someone else to do the job, though. The fact is that Betts is becoming notorious for being a late bloomer. In 2014, when he was first called up, Betts went from having a June when he hit just .167 to a September hitting .317. In 2015, Betts won the job as a starter only to hit .230 in April. That changed as Betts got to June hitting .330, then heating up even more in September for a .389 average in 108 at-bats.
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Betts is currently third on the team for RBIs with 24, six behind the face of the franchise, designated hitter David Ortiz. We can’t fault him for his contributions while he continues to find his stroke at the plate. All that we can do is wait for him to turn the corner and realize his potential, once again, and prove to the baseball world that he is an All-Star-worthy player. Judging by his progression, it shouldn’t be much longer to wait.
Something just needs to click in him that he isn’t just the future of the Boston Red Sox anymore, he is the present.