Boston Red Sox: Pablo Sandoval flexing his muscles in Spring Training
Boston Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval is slimmed down and showcasing some power in spring training.
Whatever the Boston Red Sox get from a slimmed-down Pablo Sandoval this upcoming season will be a major plus.
The man with the nickname Panda has been a major flop during his first two seasons in Boston. Following almost a year away from the game, Sandoval is hoping to show Red Sox Nation that he is now worth the big contract the team used to lure him away from the San Francisco Giants.
Battling weight issues and inconsistency, Sandoval has returned this spring training looking like a new man physically and looking more like his old self at the plate. So far Sandoval is hitting .333 in the Grapefruit League, including two homers launched over the fence in a recent game against the Minnesota Twins.
Following the two-homer performance, Sandoval told reporters that he thinks he got his bat speed back. If he has as demonstrated by both home runs, the Red Sox could have themselves the player they thought they had when they shelled out the major dough for him.
Related Story: Slimmed Down Pablo Sandoval Arrives in Fort Myers
Starting third baseman?
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While he hasn’t necessarily won his starting role back, manager John Farrell is looking for the third baseman to contribute and perform at the level he was performing at previous to his time in Boston. With that comes a certain level of aggressiveness at the plate.
"“Given the hitter he’s been throughout the course of his big league career, we’re not looking to change him,” Farrell said, via the Boston Herald. “We’re looking to have him perform at his previous levels. We know there is going to be a certain strikeout-to-walk percentage in there. And given who he has been, that’s kind of what we’re looking for. We’re not looking for him to become passive or look to walk. We’re looking for him to be aggressive within a defined (strike) zone.”"
Overall, Pablo Sandoval looks good, is playing well and has done everything the team has asked him to do. With this just being spring training, he will have to continue to prove himself as the early part of the 2017 season gets underway. The hard work will have to continue. Sandoval certainly knows the challenge ahead of him as far as what he still needs to prove as a player.
"“First, I don’t think about myself,” he told reporters when asked about his slimmed-down body. “I think about my fans and teammates. This is a team I have a lot of things to prove for them because of the up and downs in my career. You have to prove a lot of things right now. That’s what I’ve been doing and I’m going to continue doing it for the fans and my teammates who have respect for the game.”"
Next: Boston Red Sox: Hanley Ramirez Close to Moving Back to First Base
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