Boston Red Sox young, budding, left fielder Andrew Benintendi has been able to continue his outstanding performances into the postseason.
In only his second full season wearing the famous red and white, Andrew Benintendi has shown that he’s important to the future of this organization and the game of baseball. The Boston Red Sox left fielder has all the tools.
Similarly to his MVP-level outfield teammate, Mookie Betts, Benintendi can do just about everything. He showed glimpses of what he can do in his short time in Boston when he first came up in 2014 and hasn’t looked back since.
The young outfielder has had two terrific full years in Boston. He totaled 90 RBI with 20 home runs in 2017 and 87 RBI with 16 home runs in this year’s regular season. Some very impressive numbers and he’s kept on improving. Finishing the year with a .830 OPS shows his growth as a hitter. But, other important parts of his game are seen elsewhere. His hustle and drive has earned him 20+ stolen bases for the second year running, finishing with 21 on the year.
Benintendi’s role in this year’s postseason has been more than just hitting. While other teammates thrived more at the plate in the ALDS and ALCS in terms of RBI and emphatic home runs, he thrived more as a defensive player. His unbelievable catch in Game 4 of the ALCS against the Houston Astros was the biggest play of this Red Sox season. Had that ball passed Benintendi, the series would’ve been leveled up at two games apiece. However, Benintendi showed his athleticism and his fielding ability to haul in a left field drive from Astros star man Alex Bregman, with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth. His capability to make a play like this, regardless of the situation, is terrifying for opponents. At the young age of 23, this is exceptional. To make that play the way he did in a series-altering game of the ALCS shows what a special talent he is.
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The charismatic youngster is in the best place he could be at this early time in his career. With the likes of Betts and defensive specialist Jackie Bradley Jr. teaming up with him in the outfield, along with hitters such as J.D. Martinez practicing alongside him, he is surrounded by the top players who possess all the tools you need in baseball. With excellent abilities for all the aspects of the game, that he already has, Benintendi will only get better with time and, on this team, his ceiling can grow even higher.
His season got even better on Tuesday night. In his first appearance in the Fall Classic, Benintendi had one of his greatest games to date. He became the first player to produce four hits in a World Series debut since Vic Wertz of the Cleveland Indians in 1954. This dominant performance from the plate helped the Red Sox take Game 1 of the series, with Benintendi scoring three of the eight Boston runs, adding an RBI, in the process.
He’ll remain a pivotal player for the Red Sox, in both defense and ooffense for the remainder of the World Series, and will be vital to helping Boston to try and clinch their ninth world championship.