Boston Red Sox All-Decade team from 2010-2019 seasons
By Sean Penney
Left Field: Andrew Benintendi
The No. 7 overall pick in the 2015 draft raced through the minor league system to debut with the Red Sox down the stretch of the 2016 season. While he’s struggled through inconsistencies over the last few years, he’s also flashed plenty of upside.
Andrew Benintendi belted 20 homers and swiped 20 bases in 2017 when he finished as the runner-up for the Rookie of the Year award. He hit .290 and improved his OPS to .830 the following year when he made the Final Vote ballot for the All-Star Game. He played a significant role in the 2018 World Series championship, making one of the greatest diving catches in postseason history to help put away the Houston Astros in the ALCS.
This year was a step back for Benny. He seemed to be pressing a bit when he was moved to the leadoff spot to begin the season. The Red Sox ended the experiment early but that left Benintendi bouncing around the batting order.
The Red Sox have a long history of outstanding left fielders, from Teddy Ballgame to Yaz to Manny. A few big-name talents made brief pitstops in Boston this decade, including Carl Crawford, Grady Sizemore, and Yoenis Cespedes, none of whom accomplished much during their stints with the Red Sox.
We’ve yet to see the best from Benintendi but what he’s accomplished so far in his young career surpasses anyone else who has played in the shadow of Fenway’s green monster this decade.