Age: 22
Contract Status: Arbitration Eligible 2020, Free Agency 2023
The former college Player of the Year made an immediate impact when he arrived in Boston this season, hitting .295 with an .835 OPS over 105 at-bats.
Benintendi showed the ability to drive the ball into the gap by tallying 11 doubles and a triple in limited time at the big league level. Eventually those extra-base hits will translate into more home runs as he develops, so he projects as a player that can hit for a high average with modest power. While he only swiped one base during his time with the Red Sox, he has the speed to be a threat on the base paths, as he showed throughout his minor league career.
While the Red Sox have used Benintendi in left field, he’s a natural center fielder that could handle the position for another team that didn’t already have an elite defender patrolling the middle of the outfield.
The No. 5 prospect according to MLB.com has a tremendous ceiling, so any team the Red Sox approach about acquiring a star player is bound to ask if Benintendi is on the table.