Boston Red Sox 2018 player grades: Xander Bogaerts

Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts continued his inconsistent career with a really good 2018 regular season, followed by another average postseason.

The 2018 Boston Red Sox season was filled with exciting finishes, big-time pitching, and cult heroes, en route to a World Series title. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts didn’t fall into any of those categories. Instead, the 26 year-old played competent, never good enough to rise over the hype surrounding Mookie Betts and JD Martinez.

For the most part, Bogaerts lived up to his expectations. He was a .288 hitter in the regular season, notching 23 home runs and 103 RBIs, according to Baseball-Reference. Those numbers are considered great for any other team, but for a squad that won 119 games in all, and featured two of the best hitters in the MLB, Bogaerts’ contributions were under-the-radar.

Even in the playoffs, the shortstop never became the “X-factor” manager Alex Cora was looking for. Rather, it was Steve Pearce who etched his name into Boston Red Sox lore, by having one of the best World Series performances in franchise history (three home runs in 12 at-bats to go along with eight RBIs in only five games).

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Both of Bogaerts’ 2017 and 2018 seasons were very similar. In the former year, he batted .273 in 148 games, to go along with 156 hits. The hit total declined in 2018 (148), but the home run and RBI total went up; and in less games during the latter season. With every factor on his side, a successful playoffs were imminent.

Instead, Bogaerts once again struggled in October, batting .224, with only 13 hits in 58 at-bats. In retrospect, his 2018 numbers were  a stark improvement over his abysmal 2017 output in the postseason, where the shortstop couldn’t even crack .100 for a batting average.

Still, he was unable to stand out amongst a stacked roster, and failed to really become the top of the order hitter Cora wanted him to be. Unfortunately, Bogaerts continues to underperform when it matters. After a solid October back in 2013, where the righty batted .296 en route to a World Series title, Bogaerts hasn’t been unable to hit near.300. Considering that his rookie year was by far his best postseason, one might assume the shortstop is a one-hit wonder. Hopefully this doesn’t become the case, especially with a contract year imminent.

What to expect in 2019

Well, if Bogaerts continues this streak of regular season success, there’s no reason for him not to be in a starting lineup. However, it’s his postseason struggles that really could determine whether or not the shortstop ends up receiving a large payday come 2020.

Most likely, Bogaerts will be playing at the highest level possible. He’s currently entering his prime, and there’s no better time to unleash his entire skill set than right now. Sure, he may not have the greatest arm in the world, but he’s got a knack for adapting. No matter where he is in the order, Bogaerts will continue to put his best foot forward, even when it sometimes doesn’t work out.

Statistics show that the shortstop is a very average defender. At one point in the 2017 season, he ranked second worst in defensive runs saved, at -8. Surprisingly, he improved that number immensely to -2 in 2018, which put him average to above average with regards to the MLB. There’s still room for improvement though.

All in all, 2019 will by far be Bogaerts’ most important year as a member of the Boston Red Sox. As long as he learns how to hit in the postseason, things may be looking good for the youngster. For now, his 2018 teammate grade was a B.