The countdown to Opening Day has reached 10 days for the Boston Red Sox, as manager Alex Cora looks to put the finishing touches on the 26-man roster.
In a Spring Training filled with excitement from top prospects and new additions, manager Cora is left with some difficult decisions to make when it comes to finalizing the lineup next Thursday. Having too much talent at one position is never a bad thing, as that is the case when it comes to the second base position for Boston.
The Red Sox second base job was a two-man race for much of Spring Training, between No. 7 MLB Prospect Kristian Campbell and Vaughn Grissom. After underwhelming performances from both throughout the exhibition games, a third party has emerged after his strong play, and is now leading the race to be the Red Sox starting second basemen on March 27th.
David Hamilton Likely to Be Second Baseman on Opening Day
The 27-year-old Hamilton was not at the forefront of the second base position battle a month ago. Growing pains from Kristian Campbell (5 hits in 36 at-bats) and Vaughn Grissom (6 hits in 34 at-bats) at the plate have now opened the door for Hamilton to start the season at second base following his impressive Spring campaign.
Manager Cora spoke highly of Hamilton in a recent press conference, as his comments point to Hamilton fitting the mold for what the Red Sox want to do in 2025.
"One thing for sure, Hammy has played well at short, at second, the at-bats are really good. And, obviously, what he could do on the base path (is huge). But the running part (Friday) was huge. He bunted. Stole second. Then (Ceddanne) Rafaela got a base hit and then he stole second. So that matters, especially with the brand of baseball we want to play."Alex Cora
Hamilton has been able to do it all for Boston this spring, as Cora values his speed on the base paths and ability to get on base more than anything. The same cannot be said for Campbell and Grissom so far this spring, while both are still young (22 and 24).
This spring, Hamilton has ten hits (2 home runs), eight walks, and six RBIs while slashing .238/.360/.452 across 42 at-bats for Boston. He also has stolen five bases on six attempts.
Last season, Hamilton stepped in and played the majority of his time at shortstop when Trevor Story went down with a shoulder injury. He also saw time at second base and pinch-hit for Boston in crucial scenarios.
Successful ball clubs are able to get on base and get into scoring positions quickly. Hamilton capitalized when he got on base last season as he totaled 33 stolen bases (11th most in the MLB). He was able to get things going from the bottom of the lineup for Boston and proved to be a valuable utility player between his time at shortstop and second.
Boston poses great speed in different positions, from Jarren Duran to Ceddanne Rafaela, as Hamilton would add another threat on the base paths. His skill set is highly praised by Alex Cora, as the Red Sox aim to be aggressive on the bases this season.
It will be interesting to see what Cora does with the bottom half of the lineup and position changes heading into the opener on the 27th. As of now, Rafael Devers is fine with being the designated hitter, and Alex Bregman will man third base.
Kristian Campbell could make a surge in the final week to start at second, but it appears to be Hamilton's job to lose at this point.
The Red Sox have flexibility across their infield given the talent in the organization, as second base could be a position that sees all three of Hamilton, Campbell, and Grissom getting time at different points in the season.
The Red Sox have six Spring Training games to get their Opening Day roster sorted out, as their next game comes on Tuesday against the New York Yankees.