What seems to be a common theme for the Boston Red Sox this year is that there is always someone on the team who has a hot bat. When one player cools down, another one has been slowly heating up for some time, until what they are doing obtains a lot of attention.
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.
Coming into the 2016 season, the Red Sox had a bunch of “what if’s” that needed to fall into place in order for Red Sox fans to feel comfortable with this year’s team. Before the season even got underway, the “what if’s” seemed even more formidable when Eduardo Rodriguez and Carson Smith landed themselves on the disabled list before opening day.
The most recent buzz around Red Sox Nation has been centered on the recent call up of Christian Vazquez, however, there is still plenty of talk centered around Xander Bogaerts’ hitting power. Red Sox fans are waiting for the day when Bogaerts hits for power. However, that day won’t necessarily come until he starts belting 20+ home runs a season. The shortstop received a Silver Slugger Award last year after having a very solid offensive season. He batted .320 with 81 RBI’s, 7 home runs, and an OBP of .776, nonetheless many people were still unsatisfied with his home run total. Now, after Bogaerts hit his first home run of the 2016 season against Toronto on Saturday to help the Red Sox to a 4-2 victory, the topic of his power is coming back into play.
