Red Sox Prospect Watch: Spring Training’s halfway point
By Mike El-Far
Andrew Benintendi
In roughly a month, Benintendi will no longer be considered a prospect. The expectations are very high for the 7th overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft. He is joining Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr to create one of the best outfields in baseball. These three players have the ability to be one of the most productive outfields over the next decade.
Benny Baseball has been playing a lot this spring, checking in with the second most at-bats on the team. And Benintendi has made the most of his time in the spring. He is currently hitting .367 with two home runs in 30 at-bats.
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The high average is something that is a very intriguing factor. Benintendi made Red Sox Nation believe in him in part due to his great hitting. A player who can hit the ball all over the park, he is showing his contact prowess even more this spring.
Now while these are just Spring Training stats, there is something very positive about this. Obviously with the retirement of David Ortiz, this offense is losing some serious production. Obviously Benintendi is not going to produce at the same level as the greatest clutch-hitter in Boston’s history. But, if he is able to hit around .300 and drive in lots of runs, the blow will definitely be lessened.
Again, Spring Training is somewhere where statistics can be overvalued. It would be one of the most shocking events in modern baseball if Andrew Benintendi hit .367 on the season. Even still, he can keep the hot streak rolling, and become the next emerging young superstar on the Red Sox roster.