Red Sox Predictions: Players in danger of being left off postseason roster
By Sean Penney
Xander Bogaerts
Bogaerts was expected to be part of the young core the Red Sox hoped to build around, part of Boston’s own version of the Killer B’s. After watching him blossom into one of the top young shortstops in the game over the past couple of seasons, the 24-year old has hit a sudden roadblock in his career.
He started the season hot at the plate and was arguably the best hitter in the league during the month of May when he hit .351 with a .949 OPS. The power surge that he experienced last season had mysteriously vanished, yet there were few complaints when Bogaerts was in the thick of the batting title race.
The season went downhill in a hurry for Bogaerts in July when he scuffled through the worst month he has produced since his rookie year. He’s hitting .200 with a .573 OPS over 180 at-bats since the break. That OPS is next to last in the American League among hitter with 175+ plate appearances since the break, while the batting average put him ahead of only a half dozen other hitters over that span.
If Bogaerts isn’t hitting, he’s of no use to the Red Sox. It’s not as if he can make up for his deficiencies at the plate with his glove. Bogaerts has produced -11 defensive runs saved, which ranks last among major league shortstops.
Combine his poor defensive play with the drastic drop in production at the plate and a case can be made for Bogaerts being the worst position player in the league in the second half.