Since getting called up, Michael Chavis has been a revelation for the Red Sox. He should be the front-runner for the Rookie of the Year.
From the moment that young Michael Chavis got his opportunity in the Boston Red Sox organization, he impressed. Since that fateful April 19 day, Boston’s rookie started playing like a star and he hasn’t looked back since.
Now, deep into the month of July, Chavis is getting considered in a lot of the American League Rookie of the Year talk. For Sox fans, he’s been a shoo-in pretty much since he swung his first major league bat.
Getting the call so quickly this year, I’m sure many didn’t think that Chavis would’ve been able to make too much of an impact straight off the bat. But, he did. And he’s been much more of a make-up bat in this Red Sox line up throughout the first half.
Chavis, Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers, have been the star offensive weapons in this lineup. The 23-year-old has pretty much taken over as the everyday first baseman following the injury troubles of Mitch Moreland and Steve Pearce. He tallied his first career hit in his first at-bat – a double at The Trop – setting the tone for an excellent first year in the majors.
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With plenty of outstanding performers in their respective debut seasons in the league, the AL is stacked with lots of young talent. The likes of Brandon Lowe of Tampa Bay, who was named as an All-Star Game replacement, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr, the most talked-about rookie in years. These are the names that Chavis is competing with for the title of ROTY.
As good as the other competitors for this feat are, I don’t see any of them having a better second half to the season than Chavis will have. He’s grown into this Red Sox side, is a key piece and there’ll be no chance of him moving away from the majors at any time soon – therefore, all he is going to do is continue growing his productivity.
After his first career grand slam Monday night at home against the Blue Jays, which traveled a hefty 421 feet off the bat at 106.6mph, the star rookie’s RBI tally crossed the half-century mark, at 52. Chavis leads AL rookies in RBI, as well as in runs.
Slashing .260/.332/.463, Chavis has proven to be a major league threat, already. Every time he swings and makes contact with one you think it’s going over 450 – the power on his swing is extremely unique and something that will do so much damage to major league pitching, for years to come.
Doing all of this after missing the first few weeks of the season makes this all the more impressive. Coming into a team following the beginning of the year, to make your major league debut, isn’t an easy thing to do, especially when you’re playing for the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox. But, Chavis has handled this with ease and is on course to have a phenomenal first year in the league. A second-half similar to his first should set his name in stone for the AL’s ROTY award.