#4: Red Sox SS Xander Bogaerts
“Oh Captain, My Captain!” I lost track of how many times I shouted and or tweeted that out during games this season but the sentiment never went away. He may not have that “C,” on his chest but Xander Bogaerts is absolutely the leader of this team. This Red Sox roster goes as he goes. And in 2021, Bogey made sure to go yard plenty of times.
He notched 23 dingers this season along with a pretty healthy .295/.370/.493 line with 79 RBI. Since getting called up in 2013, Xander has evolved into a mentor and star player for this team. Look no further than how he coaches Rafael Devers on a nightly basis, as well as, any other young infielder in the lineup. Alex Cora trusts X so much that when it’s needed, he’ll call the shortstop to help him put his young twins to bed.
Bogey finished with the fourth-longest Red Sox bomb of 2021 and it came at the greatest place on God’s green Earth, Fenway Park. It also came early in the season as he launched a Dylan Bundy middle-middle heater to Lansdowne Street to give Boston a 7-0 lead. He would become known for that this year as some of his biggest moonshots were missiles well over the Green Monster.
Much like J.D., Xander finds himself in a curious contract situation. He can opt-out after next season but has made it known to Chaim Bloom that he’s willing to change positions in order to stay in Boston and retire with the Red Sox. If that doesn’t scream team leader, I don’t know what does. Hopefully, the two sides can come to an agreement well before the sand falls through the hourglass.