Boston Red Sox Extra Bases: Mitch Moreland Hitting His Stride
Boston Red Sox newcomer Mitch Moreland has been taking advantage of his opportunities during the early part of the season.
One of the more underrated signings this offseason for the Boston Red Sox is the one-year contract signed by former Minnesota Twins Gold Glove first baseman Mitch Moreland.
Known for his defense, Moreland’s bat is what was undervalued entering the season and the reason may be because of the player he was brought in to help fill a void for. With the retirement of David Ortiz, the Red Sox are now missing that big left-handed hitter in the middle of the rotation.
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Moreland is far from Ortiz as far as previous production goes, but he does provide a viable left-handed bat to go up against right-handed starters. So far this season, he has done more than what was expected of him.
Some of it is does to the illness that has traveled through the Red Sox clubhouse, but most of it has been due to the shoulder injury suffered by Hanley Ramirez, which has enabled him from playing the field. That has meant more playing time for Moreland and he is taking advantage of it. He has even batted cleanup in a game against the Detroit Tigers.
"“It’s still early and we are still trying to find that groove and find that flow a little bit,” Moreland said after Wednesday night’s loss, via The Boston Herald. “It’s been kind of up and down so far, but for the most part we are playing hard and I’m trying to grind it out every at-bat.”"
Although Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell would like to stick to the original plan, Mitch Moreland is making his case through the first seven game to be an everyday player. He is batting .323 with 10 hits in his 31 at bats. He does not have a home run, but does have seven doubles and leads the team in total bases. His .548 slugging percentage shows just how well he is swinging the bat.
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Combined with his defense, Moreland’s hot bat could turn an undervalued signing into a big time addition.