Michael Chavis is having a heck of a year with the Boston Red Sox.
The first baseman, who was recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket in late April, has made his mark on the team both on the field and at the plate.
Chavis quickly won over the hearts of Red Sox fans, and only added to the laundry list of reasons why with his first career grand slam Monday night against the Toronto Blue Jays.
But his bat wasn’t always so hot. The 23-year-old was batting .150 just a year ago in Double-A Portland. And now Chavis owns a .259 average with 16 home runs and 52 RBIs.
Despite struggling in the minors, Chavis always knew he’d be fine in the big leagues.
“I’m not trying to sound arrogant, but even when I was in Double-A I felt like I was ready for the big leagues,” Chavis said, per WEEI’s Rob Bradford. “Some people might not think so, and I could be completely wrong. But in my opinion, I felt like I was completely ready.”
Chavis added he’s “gotten more mature as a hitter” since his time in the minors, but the talent still is “pretty similar.”
“I know I’ve gotten better. I know I’ve gotten more mature as a hitter. I’ve gotten better defensively. I’ve gotten a lot smarter. But in regards to the actual talent, I think the talent kind of hits the spot where you kind of fine-tune it,” he said. “If I took the approach that I was when I was hitting .150 and took it to the big leagues I wouldn’t have had the success I’m having now, so I’ve made strides and become more mature. But in regards to the actual talent, it’s pretty similar.”
If Chavis continues to grow his baseball smarts, we only can imagine the damage he’ll continue to do.
