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3 Red Sox players that are ready to breakout against the Orioles

By Brendan Mizgala

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 21: Trevor Story #10 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after striking out during the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park on April 21, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 21: Trevor Story #10 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after striking out during the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park on April 21, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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Red Sox OF/INF Kiké Hernández
BOSTON, MA – APRIL 19: Enrique Hernandez #5 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after hitting a double in the third inning of a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park on April 19, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /

Red Sox OF/INF Kiké Hernández

Kiké Hernández is one of the most beloved players on the roster right now and he became an instant fan favorite with Red Sox Nation last season. A similar cold spell was the first chapter of his tenure in Boston but he would soon grow into his role as the leadoff man and became a force. As the season went on he would become one of the more clutch hitters in the lineup and would then go on a historic Postseason run.

Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to carry that hot streak into this season and his bat has definitely been missed. It’s gotten to the point that we’ve seen Alex Cora already shuffle the lineup and Kiké has seen his role in the order change a few times.

Through yesterday’s loss to the Blue Jays, Hernández is hitting a paltry .197/.267/.342 with one homer and 11 RBI. One positive is that he currently leads the American League with 8 doubles.

However, on the other hand, there is one glaring negative that seems to be the crux of all of his problems. In 76 at-bats, he’s struck out 20 times compared to just 8 walks. One of the things that made him a dangerous hitter in 2021 was his ability to lay off the junk and attack pitches he knew he could handle. Kiké currently owns a 9.3% BB%, down from last year’s 10.4%, and 23.3% K% way up from last year’s 18.8%

This is also a problem in the grander scheme for the Red Sox as they have too many guys in this department. We’ve even seen Xander Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez chase at things they would never whiff at in the past so it’s not just Hernández that’s getting over-eager at the plate.

With this matchup against Baltimore coming at the right time, I fully expect him to find his patience and get back to wrecking opposing pitchers.

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