BOSTON — Xander Bogaerts might never stop hearing about his power unless he starts hitting 25 home runs per season.
The Red Sox shortstop won a Silver Slugger award in 2015 after batting .320 with 82 RBIs, but plenty of people still were seemingly unsatisfied with the seven home runs he hit over the course of 156 games. And after he hit his first homer of the 2016 campaign in a 4-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday, the question of Bogaerts’ power came back once again.
“I think all that see Xander play, we know that there’s power in there,” Farrell said Saturday after the win. “He shows it in (batting practice), he’ll show it to you like that at-bat here (Saturday), but he’s about plate coverage and using the whole field.
“The power, everyone projects there’s a certain number of home runs in there, and that will come in time. I think Xander feels most comfortable with staying inside the baseball and hitting for an average. I think that’s why there was such a high number of RBIs last year. He was so good in RBI situations. So, in time, he’ll pick spots to be able to get something to the pull side.”
Bogaerts himself even confirmed Farrell’s theory Saturday that he’s swinging for hits and not necessarily for home runs.
“Not in April, that’s for sure,” Bogaerts said when asked if he feels like he has more power. “I just try to put the ball in play. I have big guys behind me that can drive me in, as you’ve seen (David) Ortiz drive me in from first base. It really doesn’t matter, just try to get on base and let those guys drive me it. That’s what I’ve been trying to do as of now.”
Bogaerts obviously isn’t against being a power hitter, but he’s less concerned about it when David Ortiz and Hanley Ramirez follow him in the lineup. And he doesn’t hate the idea that some people think he could hit 20 to 25 home runs per season.
“Good thinking. That’s good thinking,” Bogaerts said. “We’ll see what happens. It’s a long season. We’re just in April now, probably 10 games in, so we’ll take it one day at a time.”
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
