Xander Bogaerts’ 2016 was a tale of two halves. Bogaerts lit it up from April to July, but hit a wall post-All-Star break. After putting up a slash line of .329/.388/.475 during the first half of the season, including a 26-game hitting streak, his second half line read .253/.317/.412.
Not only did his stats fall, but it was evident through the eyeball test. Bogaerts’ signature vision and ability to spray the ball to all fields seemed to disappear in the latter months of the season. Many of his solid, Green Monster-slapping hits were replaced by bloop singles and infield hits. After raking 22 doubles pre-All-Star break, he only hit 12 afterward.
If this spring is any implication, his struggles will continue. Bogaerts hit a tepid .277 between Spring Training and the World Baseball Classic (WBC).
Red Sox fans have the right to worry about Bogey entering 2017. His struggles continued through the end of the season last year, and he has not had much time to work with hitting coach Chili Davis this spring due to the World Baseball Classic.
Additionally, Red Sox fans naturally cringe while reading about their players participating in the WBC. We don’t need to be reminded of Daisuke Matsuzaka‘s 2009 season. Following his stellar 2008 when he finished fourth in American League Cy Young Award voting, Dice-K earned the WBC MVP award in 2009. Entering the 2009 MLB season, the expensive prospect from Japan was surrounded by a cloud of hype. He proceeded to see limited action due to an injury he sustained during the Classic, notching a 5.76 ERA in just 12 appearances.
Be optimistic about Bogaerts – he has proven himself as one of the best hitters in the league when he is hot – but be cautious. Don’t be surprised if Bogaerts’ stats drop off significantly.