Inside Baseball: Xander Bogaerts Blossoming Into Stud
BOSTON (CBS) -- There haven't been many bright spots on the Boston Red Sox this season, but one player has emerged and appears to becoming the star the team hoped he would be.
Shortstop Xander Bogaerts has been swinging a hot bat, checking in with a .292/.329/.404 split on the season with 30 RBI and 29 runs scored. In two games in Kansas City over the weekend, Bogaerts went 4-for-10 at the plate, including a three-double, three-RBI afternoon in Sunday's 13-2 win.
For the month of June, Bogaerts is hitting .329 with 25 hits, 13 RBI and 10 runs scored.
Tony Massarotti and Levan Reid (filling in for Dan Roche) discussed Bogaerts' emergence on Monday night's Inside Baseball on the WBZ-TV New at 10 on myTV38, with Mazz pointing out one big difference in the shortstop's approach at the plate: Aggressiveness.
Two of Bogaerts' hits on Sunday came on the first pitch, something we didn't see during his rookie season last year.
"This is a guy who, when he came up to the big leagues, we heard patience and plate-discipline. Last year he repeatedly got down 0-1, 0-2 and had to get defensive in the batter's box," noted Mazz. "What are you seeing now? In run-scoring situations, [you're seeing more] aggressiveness.
"This kid is blossoming in front of our eyes, and turning into a stud," said Mazz.
As for Boston taking two of three against the Royals, Mazz says don't start the comeback talk just yet.
"Let's not be delusional. One week does not erase what's gone on here all season," he said. "They've buried themselves so deep here that one week doesn't get you out of it. You have to go four of six now for the next five to seven weeks. That takes you way past the [trade] deadline, so that should make things interesting for [general manager] Ben Cherington as we approach July 30."
Also, find out which player on the Red Sox is driving Levan Reid crazy. Tune in to Inside Baseball every Monday night on the WBZ-TV News at 10 on myTV38!
