There have been times during the Red Sox’s forgettable season when Bogaerts has been the club’s biggest bright spot, and it’s reasonable to think he’ll someday — perhaps sooner rather than later — be a middle-of-the-order presence. Bogaerts’ move down the lineup makes sense for several reasons, though, and manager John Farrell would be wise to test out the new order for at least a few games.
Farrell’s lineup change, of course, is largely predicated on Bogaerts’ struggles. Bogaerts is hitting .096 (5-for-52) over his last 14 games and .162 (12-for-74) in 21 games since shifting to third base upon shortstop Stephen Drew returning to the Red Sox.
One could debate for hours whether Bogaerts’ position change has played a role in his offensive woes, but the numbers are what they are. Even Bogaerts himself acknowledged a couple of weeks ago that it was a “good question” when WEEI.com’s Alex Speier dived into the issue during the Red Sox’s series in Baltimore.
Bogaerts’ full-time shift into the No. 2 hole in the Red Sox’s lineup coincided with Brock Holt’s emergence as Boston’s everyday leadoff hitter and Dustin Pedroia’s move into the No. 3 spot — all occurred May 23. Since then, Holt obviously has become a rock star, but both Bogaerts and Pedroia stand to benefit from assuming a new lineup spot within the Red Sox’s struggling offense.
Bogaerts is hitting .229 (32-for-140) with a .306 on-base percentage in 34 games out of the No. 2 spot this season. Sure, he went on a tear immediately after being thrust into the role full-time, but it’s evident the Red Sox might have placed too much pressure on the young infielder at the first sign of success. (For what it’s worth, Bogaerts is hitting .317 [13-for-41] with a .378 on-base percentage in 11 games out of the No. 7 spot.)
Pedroia has had fairly consistent numbers this season regardless of his lineup spot, but the All-Star second baseman spent much of his career before last season batting out of the No. 2 hole, and he’s currently hitting a career-low .268 with only four homers in 75 games. While Farrell pointed out Monday in Seattle that Pedroia’s decrease in power is largely a product of pitchers pitching him outside more frequently, it’s perfectly reasonable to wonder if a bump in the lineup could do him some good. After all, Pedroia fits the mold of a quintessential No. 2 hitter.
Bogaerts’ move also enables David Ortiz to hit third, where he boasts a .274/.367/.520 slash line with 12 homers and 28 RBIs in 46 games this season. Ortiz has a much-less-impressive .228/.333/.413 slash line with five homers and 18 RBIs in 25 games out of the cleanup spot. Anything geared toward waking up Big Papi on a more consistent basis seems A-OK given his importance.
Still, perhaps the most important number — aside from all the unflattering statistics that highlight Boston’s offensive futility as a team — is that the Red Sox are 8-13 since their season-high seven-game winning streak ended June 2.
Sometimes, a seemingly minor change can create a spark. A lot of pieces within the Red Sox’s struggling offense, including Bogaerts, could use that right now.