Christian Vazquez had his best year in a Red Sox uniform in 2019, blasting 23 home runs just one season after hitting three.
The Red Sox catcher batted .276 with 72 RBIs in 138 games last season, which earned him a pretty high rank on ESPN’s Buster Olney’s Top-10 catchers list. Vazquez came in at No. 4, beating out New York Yankees backstop Gary Sanchez and St. Louis Cardinals’ Yadier Molina, to name a few.
Here’s what Olney had to say about Vazquez:
The Red Sox have some rebuilding to do, but they appear set at catcher for at least the next few seasons, now that Vazquez is fully established. He hit for consistent power for the first time in 2019, with 26 doubles and 23 homers, and he fared so well at the plate that manager Alex Cora worked to get him into the lineup on days when he wasn’t catching. He had 11 starts at designated hitter, seven at first base and one at second.
There weren’t many bright spots for the Red Sox in 2019, but Vazquez’s offense certainly was one of them.
Vazquez hopes to pick up where he left off as he and the rest of his team prepare for the 2020 season. Pitchers and catchers report to spring training Feb. 11.
