Red Sox sign outfielder Hunter Renfroe
2020 team: Tampa Bay Rays
How the Red Sox got him: Signed a 1-year, $3.1 million contract
Hunter Renfroe is a switch-hitting corner outfielder who possesses middle of the lineup power and a strong arm. He ranked in the top five in outfield assists in two of the last four seasons. At the plate, Renfroe hammers lefties, amassing .573 SLG against LHP in his career.
He struggled to consistently produce offensively last season, slashing a meager .156/.292/.356 leading to his release by Tampa Bay earlier this offseason. His batting average dropped 60 points and his BABIP fell nearly 100 from 2019 to 2020 as Renfroe adjusted to a new team and a new league, leaving San Diego for Tampa Bay. He began pulling the ball less and hitting it to the opposite field more and his hard hit percentage fell as a result.
Whatever adjustments coaches in Tampa made to his swing clearly didn’t work. Renfroe is a self-proclaimed pull hitter saying, “No bones about it, I like to pull the ball. I feel like that’s where most of my power is, to left and left-center.”
That isn’t to say his swing was completely broken in Tampa, because when he found his stroke, the result was beautiful
Oh, Renfroe! pic.twitter.com/ueO0NzYlBO
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) July 28, 2020
If he can regain his consistency at the plate this season, he’s going to hammer a lot of baseballs off and over the green monster.