Manager Bobby Valentine was asked that question before Monday's game, and the Red Sox skipper pointed to another third baseman he used to manage.
"Because [Middlebrooks] plays third base and the ball comes off his bat in a special way, he reminds me a little of Dean Palmer, who I had as a young man," Valentine said
Palmer, who played under Valentine for parts of three seasons between 1989 and 1992, earned two Silver Slugger Awards in his career, as well as one All-Star nod in 1998. He eventually retired in 2003, but not before he jacked 275 career home runs. Palmer's resume also includes four seasons with more than 30 bombs, and he eclipsed the 100-RBI mark four times as well.
Middlebrooks is just 41 games into his young career, but the power is already obvious. The 23-year-old has nine home runs, 34 RBIs and is batting an impressive .326.
Middlebrooks has all of the tools to exceed the production Palmer supplied in his big league career, but you could certainly do worse when it comes to a comparison.
