The Boston Red Sox are putting together a spectacular season, but not every player on the roster is receiving their proper praise.
While the baseball world justly has sung the praises of J.D. Martinez and Mookie Betts dating back to April, other Red Sox players like Andrew Benintendi effectively have flown under the radar. Benintendi put together a strong regular season, batting .290 with 16 home runs and 87 RBIs.
Benintendi’s success isn’t coming as too much of a surprise to Alex Cora, who sees the young outfielder putting in work every single day. As such, the Red Sox manager is confused as to why anyone would question Benintendi’s passion for the game.
“I’m a big fan of Andrew,” Cora said prior to Game 4 of the American League Division Series, as seen on NESN. “People have this conception that he doesn’t like baseball, and it’s the other way around. At 7:05 or 8:05, it’s fun to be around him because he grinds and he wants to go after you. I think that’s the edge he has. He wants to win every pitch. He’s never — I mean, he wants to be better in every aspect of the game. We’re very proud of the way he approaches the season.
“He got challenged right away. You’re going to hit second for us, right behind Mookie Betts and in front of J.D. Martinez. I mean, it’s a cool spot to hit, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a challenge, and he’s been great for us.”
The lights certainly haven’t been too bright for Benintendi in the ALDS against the New York Yankees, as the 24-year-old is 4-for-10 with a double and three RBIs. If Benintendi continues to swing a hot bat, the top half of the Red Sox’s batting order will remain a nightmare for opposing pitchers.
