Red Sox rookie Bobby Dalbec earning his role with scorching August

Boston Red Sox rookie Bobby Dalbec is on fire this month

The Boston Red Sox approached the MLB trade deadline viewing first base as a position of need. Ever since, Bobby Dalbec has been reminding them that they already have a first baseman.

Dalbec fell out of favor during a rocky first half to his rookie campaign. His excessive strikeouts were piling up at an alarming rate to keep his batting average barely above the Mendoza Line. He hit a meager .210 in July with a .541 OPS that stands as his worst in any month of his career.

It was no secret that the Red Sox were seeking an upgrade at first base as the trade deadline approached but the only bat they brought in was Kyle Schwarber, who was on the injured list at the time and had almost zero experience at the position. Schwarber has been outstanding at the plate since joining the active roster but he’s only started one game at first base so far.

While a combination of easing Schwarber in following his return from injury and the learning curve of a new position has limited his time at first base, the Red Sox haven’t needed him in that role. Dalbec has done more than enough to earn his playing time with a scorching month of August.

In 23 games this month, Dalbec is hitting .345/.441/.810. He leads the majors in slugging percentage this month and his on-base percentage trails only Schwarber in the American League.

Dalbec has homered seven times in August, including four in his last four games. That includes a multi-homer game against the Minnesota Twins when he drove in seven runs, tying a franchise record for RBI from the No. 9 spot in the lineup.

The home run he hit in the finale of the series in Cleveland on Sunday was the 25th of his career. Dalbec is only the seventh player in franchise history to reach 25 career home runs in 130 games or fewer.

His latest home run was collected on Monday in Tampa Bay. Dalbec launched a 397-foot blast to left field to put Boston on the board. It would end up being the only run the Red Sox scored in an otherwise lackluster effort from the lineup but Dalbec’s solo shot seemed meaningful at the time when it tied the score in the second inning.

Dalbec’s overall production still appears underwhelming. Despite getting hot this month to give those numbers a boost, he’s still only batting .238/.294/.470 this season. It’s not unusual for rookies to struggle in their first full season though. His recent surge reminds us that the player who took the league by storm with eight homers in 23 games last year still exists.

Many were critical of Chaim Bloom for not depleting the farm system to acquire an upgrade at first base. Fans were furious that he allowed the New York Yankees to outbid him for Anthony Rizzo. It turns out, Bloom might have known what he was doing after all. Rizzo has been disappointing in pinstripes, batting .235/.333/.397 in 19 games for the Yankees.

Schwarber has been the far superior deadline acquisition since joining the Red Sox (.326/.483/.543). He’s hardly a perfect fit defensively but he doesn’t need to be now that Dalbec is cementing his role at first base, allowing Schwarber to split time in the outfield and designated hitter spot with J.D. Martinez.

Dalbec’s long-term future remains hazy with Rafael Devers locked in a third base and top prospect Triston Casas projected to arrive within the next two years to claim first base. Dalbec has done enough to earn his playing time down the stretch this season and should enter next year as the primary first baseman. If he continues to tear the cover off the ball at remotely the same level we’ve seen this month, Boston will find room in the lineup for his bat.