Jason Varitek: Blake Swihart’s Rookie Season With Red Sox ‘Phenomenal’

Blake Swihart has a fan in Jason Varitek.

Varitek spoke to the media via a conference call Monday after being elected to the Red Sox Hall of Fame. The longtime Red Sox catcher discussed Swihart, who figures to be Boston’s starting backstop come Opening Day, and he gave the 23-year-old a glowing review.

“As far as what I think about Blake’s year last year, it was phenomenal,” Varitek said. “I think he’s continuing to grow as a catcher. I think he does a lot of things extremely well behind the plate that will continue to advance the more and more he catches.

“And he has a very difficult thing to do to still develop and compete at the major league level. I think he did both. He’s a better player at the end of the year than he was at the beginning of the year.”

Swihart didn’t have the flashiest numbers in 2015, batting .274 with five home runs, 31 RBIs and a .712 OPS. But Varitek was right about the rookie improving as the season went on, as Swihart batted .310 from August through October.

Either way, that’s some high praise coming from one of the best catchers to ever play for the Red Sox.

Thumbnail photo via Tommy Gilligan/USA TODAY Sports Images