Stat projections for the Red Sox electric outfield
On Tuesday, we take a look at the high-profile Red Sox infield, a group that will undoubtedly put up some eye-popping numbers. For today’s article, we’ll move into the outfield for part two of my 2022 season projections.
The Red Sox outfield was an extremely successful group last year. Alex Verdugo finally played a full season and batted .289, Kiké Hernández accounted for 4.9 WAR, and Hunter Renfroe launched 31 home runs and drove in nearly 100 runs. Even J.D Martinez, who can only be qualified as an outfielder under the most generous of circumstances, enjoyed a bounce-back campaign in which he led the league with 42 doubles.
All signs pointed to the Sox running it back in 2022, but that plan was thrown for an unexpected loop. Just hours before the lockout, the Red Sox flipped Renfroe for Jackie Bradley Jr. and two prospects. Bradley had a very successful run with Boston and was one of the 2018 postseason heroes, but he had one of the worst offensive seasons in recent memory in his lone campaign with the Brewers. Now he’ll be asked to man the everyday right field spot for a team with championship aspirations.
Even with the addition of Bradley, there’s a lot to like about the Red Sox outfield. Let’s take a look at what to expect from each one, starting with their energetic sparkplug.