Everyone is well aware of Jackie Bradley’s hit streak, however what is going fairly unnoticed is Xander Bogaert’s recent success, which after last nights 2 hit performance, has brought him a 17-game hitting streak.

Like with Bradley, Xander’s hit streak doesn’t do his success justice. He is currently batting .349, with an OPS of .902, 65 hits, 16 doubles, 25 RBIs, and 6 SB. However, these numbers are showing that Xander has grown a lot since last year and are not going away anytime soon.

Last year Xander has proven to be a great contact hitter while hitting .320 and finishing second in the AL with 196 hits. Despite winning the Silver Slugger Award, he showed room for improvement in terms of his power and his hitting approach. He only put together an OPS of .776 and didn’t walk that much with only 32.

So far this season, along with the current 17-game hit streak, Xander has shown to have really grown. With an on-base percentage of .402, he has shown to not only have continued his success with getting base hits, but his approach is more well rounded. So far in only 44 games, 204 at bats, 450 fewer at bats than last year, he already has 16 walks. Half of his total from last year. With a solid on-base percentage and an increase in his power production, he is displaying that he has learned to take pitches while still being able to attack the baseball.

Watch Xander hit a 3 run blast on May 15th against the Astros:

(I don’t know Spanish, but I do know that was a bomb.)

Xander Bogaerts is constantly improving his approach at the plate, and while his streak and success has been somewhat under the radar, his continual progression deserves the attention because he is only getting better .