Red Sox: Andrew Benintendi wins AP Play of the Year Award
The season may be over but the Red Sox just keep winning. Not only did they reach the highest mark a team can in baseball, but their individual stars are raking in the silverware as well.
This was already a landmark season for the Red Sox. Storming through the regular season, dominating the postseason and raising the Commissioner’s Trophy to end it all. As a collective unit, this group has done things that no other Red Sox team ever has and they aren’t done.
With Mookie Betts winning the American League MVP, a handful of Gold Gloves being spread over the team, and numerous player and writer awards, the stars shined this season in Boston. But when the Gold Glove Awards were handed out one man was notably left off the list.
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Andrew Benintendi was shockingly omitted from the winner’s list. With JBJ and Mookie both going home with the trophies, Benni was left out. Again, this was a bit of a shock as Benintendi was one of if not THE best left fielder in the American League this season. He would finish the year as the top left fielder in assists, zone runs, and fourth in overall fielding percentage.
So how exactly does he not walk away with a Gold Glove? I couldn’t tell ya, I’m still trying to figure it out myself. But that was amended this week as Andrew does leave 2018 with the AP Play of the Year Award. And that covers ALL sports, not just baseball. So he may not have a Gold Glove but he can walk away knowing that he had the top play in all of sports this year.
The play that earned him the honors came in Game 4 of the ALCS. The Astros were mounting a comeback in the bottom of the ninth inning when Alex Bregman connected on a missed pitch by Craig Kimbrel. And Bregman was the last person that Red Sox Nation wanted at the plate in this scenario, he’d been the kryptonite to the Boston pitching staff. The ball rocketed to left field but it would soon run into the defensive juggernaut that is Andrew Benintendi.
Benni ran the ball down and laid out to make the catch right as the ball was about to hit the ground. He would pop up and let out a roar that could be felt all the way in Boston. This was just another highlight from an already amazing year from our trio of outfield stars. This would seal Game 4 for Boston and sent the Sox one step closer to the World Series.
dark. Next. Red Sox should go all-in on Zach Britton
And just like that, another piece of silverware is heading to Boston. Benintendi may have missed out on a Gold Glove but he can forever talk about how his catch was the best play in all of sports for 2018. He can also show off that nice shiny World Series ring, not a bad bit of bragging rights. Andrew Benintendi looks to continue his defensive dominance in 2019 and hitters are looking to keep the ball away from left field.