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Boston Red Sox: Three wishes for the holiday season

By Mark Chekares

BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 23: Andrew Benintendi #16 of the Boston Red Sox hits an RBI single during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game One of the 2018 World Series at Fenway Park on October 23, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 23: Andrew Benintendi #16 of the Boston Red Sox hits an RBI single during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game One of the 2018 World Series at Fenway Park on October 23, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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Boston Red Sox
Andrew Benintendi  Boston Red Sox (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

We need Benny biceps

In Andrew Benintendi’s first two seasons in the big leagues (2017, 2018) he hit .280 with 36 home runs and 177 RBI. He played solid defensively and was second in Rookie of the Year voting in 2017 (He would lose to Aaron Judge).

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Benny seemed to have a TON of promise, and that sweet left-handed swing and compact build reminded many fans of another left-handed-hitting Sox player to man the Monster.

Benintendi was putting up Yaz-like numbers up until the 2018 All-Star break. At the break, Benny was hitting .297 with 14 home runs and was on pace to hit close to 30 dingers. Then, the second half began, and “Benny biceps” suffered a severe power outage…he hit only two homers from July 20 to September 29.

This may not seem so glaring since the Sox cruised to a World Series victory, but Benny hasn’t been the same since mid-2018. Last season saw his numbers dip significantly in almost every offensive category. His average fell to .266 (-24 points), he hit only 13  homers for the year, and his strikeouts increased by 40. In 2020,

Andrew Benintendi needs to be closer to the .285, 20 HR guy we all hope he can be.

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