Red Sox: Kike Hernandez is thriving since returning to leadoff role

Kike Hernandez has been a force at the top of the Red Sox lineup

When the Boston Red Sox signed Enrique Hernandez last winter it was widely assumed that they were acquiring a versatile platoon player who would primarily be featured in the lineup against left-handed pitching. Manager Alex Cora surprised us by committing to Hernandez as his leadoff hitter early in spring training, a decision that left us more than a bit skeptical. Hernandez didn’t have much experience at the top of the order and his underwhelming career on-base percentage suggested he wasn’t a fit for the role.

The concerns grew louder when Hernandez sputtered out to a slow start, hitting .230 with a meager .271 OBP through his first 25 games. He drew only five walks while striking out 24 times in 107 plate appearances by the end of April.

A leadoff hitter’s primary responsibility is to get on base to set the table for the run producers behind them. Hernandez simply wasn’t getting the job done and his track record showed he has never reached base at a high clip unless he was facing a lefty.

The Red Sox temporarily dropped the struggling Hernandez down in the order in June but the other options they experimented with failed to step up and claim the leadoff role. When Kike started to show signs off life at the plate, Cora put him back at the top hoping to stabilize the lineup.

The manager showed enough faith in him to give Hernandez a second chance as a leadoff hitter and Kike has rewarded that trust by being everything the Red Sox could have hoped for.

Boston reinstated Hernandez as their primary leadoff hitter on June 27 after quickly discovering that Danny Santana and Michael Chavis weren’t viable alternatives. Kike went 2-for-5 with a run scored and a pair of RBI in a 9-2 win over the New York Yankees,

Since returning to the top of the order on June 27, Hernandez leads the American League with a .408 OBP. In those last 42 games, he’s hitting .297 with a .978 OPS while leading the Red Sox with 47 hits, 29 runs, 27 walks, and 90 total bases. He’s tied with J.D. Martinez for the team lead in extra-base hits with 23 over that span.

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It’s as if Hernandez developed into a completely different hitter during his banishment toward the bottom of the lineup. He’s risen back to the top and he’s thriving in this role. While he was once viewed as a hacker who was allergic to walks, his newfound patience has him drawing them frequently of late, including a three-walk performance last week against the Tampa Bay Rays. He’s hitting for average and power against right-handers and lefties.

A fairly one-dimensional hitter has been replaced with an ideal leadoff candidate. It’s still a relatively small sample but it’s not completely out of the blue. Hernandez showed improved patience and solid pop during spring training, which helped convince Cora he could handle the leadoff spot. Hernandez seemed to abandon those traits when falling into an early season slump but he has rediscovered them since being given another shot at the top of the order.

The Red Sox have several talented hitters in their lineup but their star players either aren’t ideal fits for the leadoff spot or unwilling to adapt to the role. Credit Hernandez for embracing the challenge and making the necessary adjustments to succeed. The Red Sox needed someone to set the table for their big bats and they have finally found a solution with Hernandez.