Red Sox Hot Take: Alex Verdugo could be the leadoff solution
The Boston Red Sox are off and running with their Spring Training games. With the sun shining, the birds chirping, and the hotdogs being eaten, it’s safe to say that baseball is back!
What’s also back is speculating and one thing that Red Sox fans are speculating is who the lead-off hitter could be for the 2023 season.
Some people are saying Masataka Yoshida could be the guy. Others might have a unique take in picking a guy such as Christian Arroyo.
But I’m here to tell you all that Alex Verdugo could be another legitimate option for the leadoff spot for this Red Sox team.
Before you all go off and call me crazy, let’s take a look at what could defend Alex Verdugo’s argument to actually hit leadoff.
Boston Red Sox having a good contact hitter in Alex Verdugo
The whole point of a leadoff hitter is to put the ball in play, get on base, and not strikeout. That fits Verdugo’s name better than just about anybody else on the Red Sox.
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The Red Sox outfielder struck out 86 times in 593 official at-bats in 2022. That is close to striking out once out of every seven at-bats. That’s a good sign that you want in a leadoff hitter.
Sure, you could go for a more speedy option in a guy like Jarren Duran. But Duran strikes out far too often to consistently be in the lead-off spot.
So if the Red Sox are going to be more of an O.B.P. type of offense, then they need contact hitters at the top of the lineup to get on base. The Red Sox outfielder can do that, considering he’s hit .288 for his three seasons in Boston.
Boston Red Sox have Alex Verdugo who WANTS to hit leadoff
The thing that we’ve heard is that Verdugo actually WANTS to be in the leadoff spot.
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Red Sox fans would love to see the left-handed hitting Verdugo being aggressive to begin baseball games. With the way that “Duggie” plays the game as a whole, the aggressiveness shouldn’t be an issue for the 26 year old outfielder.
So the fact that we as Red Sox fans have a guy that is WANTING to hit at the top of the lineup is a very good sign. Hopefully, the production will follow the desire.
If Verdugo is penciled in at the top of the lineup game one against the Baltimore Orioles on March 30, then great! Let’s see what he can do.
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If he starts there and struggles, like I mentioned before; there are plenty of other options for that top spot.
Arroyo, Duran, and even a guy like Kikè Hernandez can fill that leadoff spot.
There may not be a definitive answer at the moment for who will hit leadoff. But it is great to see how many options this Red Sox team actually has in their lineup!
So if “Duggie” is the guy, we ride with him! If not, get somebody else who can do the job. But the bottom line is that Red Sox baseball is back and I’m excited to see what this 2023 team can show us.