Red Sox: Jackie Bradley Jr. is getting hot at the plate and just in time
The Boston Red Sox haven’t been playing up to their potential lately, but centerfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. is finally getting into the swing of things.
This season has been the definition of a head scratcher for the Red Sox. Nothing seems to be going exactly to the gameplan and the losses are piling up. The pitching is in full Jekyll/Hyde mode as on any given night we don’t know what we’re going to see. The bats have been showing up more in recent games but not enough to counter the poor pitching. One man that has been contributing in a big way lately is Jackie Bradley Jr.
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The Gold Glove center fielder has been off to an ice-cold start at the plate this season which is nothing new for JBJ. In the last 10 games though he has been a major contributor in the offensive efforts for the Red Sox. Going into tonight’s ever important clash with the Yankees Jackie has a 12H/4HR/10R/7RBI/2BB/9K stat line. The strikeouts are still high but the production is matching it now.
With the unpredictability that this team brings on any given night, they will need JBJ to be as consistent as possible. Having him heat up just in time to storm into the Bronx for what can be a season-saving 4-game stand with the Yankees is beyond important. We all know what he can do in the field but having him match that at the plate will be great for Boston’s confidence.
In an ideal world, the Red Sox were going to be rolling into New York having just swept the Indians and ready to battle their longtime foes. Sadly that didn’t happen and Boston has to go against a surging Yankee club from the gutter. After this 10-game stretch for Jackie, he now has his average up to .185 which may seem low, but for the year he’s having it’s a great sign.
The Red Sox will need all hands on deck in order to erase the 7.5 game deficit that they find themselves in at the moment. Red Sox Nation was united in hopes that that number would be much smaller as the team made their way to the Bronx but now the team will need a big showing against New York.
Jackie isn’t the only Red Sox outfielder getting hot at the moment as both Andrew Benintendi and Mookie Betts are starting to pile on the hits as well. At one point the Red Sox outfield was considered the best in the game and with the bats starting to catch up to the offense it may be on its way back to that standing.
As far as long-term goes, Jackie is nearing free agency as he has one more year of arbitration eligibility (2020) and will then be free to test the market in 2021. Without a doubt, he will want to try and tack back to back strong years together for contract time. He’ll be 31 once he is able to dip his toe into the free agent pool and who knows what the money will look like come 2021.
Jackie is coming off of being named the 2018 ALCS MVP after scorching the Astros for 2HR/9RBI back in October. This season didn’t quite pick up where last years left off but things are trending upwards for the veteran center fielder. With both sides of the game clicking right now for JBJ, he will once again become a major component to the Red Sox machine.
Next. Red Sox lack of pitching depth highlighted in series against Indians. dark
This season has been a headache not only for the Red Sox but the Fenway Faithful. When the team takes one step forward they seemingly take two steps back. With Jackie Bradley Jr. beginning to contribute more the team will surely begin to see brighter days. Everything can begin again with this big series in the Bronx and a few big wins for the Red Sox.