Boston Red Sox early surprise performances from 2020 spring training
By Sean Penney
Rusney Castillo continues his annual tradition of tantalizing us with a scorching spring while knowing full well his contract will prevent him from getting called up to the majors. He’s 9-for-16 for a .563 batting average that by far leads the team among those with double-digit at-bats. It’s nice to see but ultimately meaningless.
Jackie Bradley Jr. is off to a fast start this spring, hitting. 421 with a pair of home runs. The batting average is inflated by a recent 3-for-3 performance but take that perfect day at the plate away and he’s still having a great spring.
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We know who the streaky Bradley is at this point so it’s tough to get overly excited. It’s worth noting this is a contract year for JBJ though. The addition of Kevin Pillar threatens to steal playing time away from him, at least against left-handed pitching, once Boston’s outfield is fully healthy. A strong start to the season could help him retain his everyday role.
If Bradley were to falter or become trade bait near the deadline, a path could open for Jarren Duran to make his big league debut. He has blazing speed that provides a threat on the base baths that the current roster is lacking and he projects as a solid center field. Maybe he’ll never be a Gold Glove candidate like Bradley but he can handle the position while providing more value at the plate.
Duran is hitting .333 with a home run and a triple in 15 at-bats this spring. He may be emerging as Boston’s center fielder of the future with Bradley expected to leave in free agency.
Another foundation of the outfield is Andrew Benintendi. He’s aiming to bounce back from a disappointing season while replacing Mookie Betts in the leadoff spot, a role he failed to fill to begin last season. Benny is slashing .308/.357/.538 this spring, a promising sign that he will get off to a better start this season and that he can thrive at the top of the order.