Red Sox’s Alex Verdugo Starting To Meet Alex Cora’s Raised Bar

It's no secret that Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora has high expectations for outfielder Alex Verdugo.

He's pushed him at nearly every turn with Verdugo being the biggest piece the Red Sox got back in the deal for Mookie Betts.

"I want (Verdugo) to play at this level," Cora told reporters following Monday's 9-3 road win over the Minnesota Twins while raising his hand above his head to show how high he thinks Verdugo can go, as seen on NESN postgame coverage. "I do believe he has that potential."

Verdugo is starting to live up to that potential as of late, coming through with a key performance that pushed Boston's winning streak to five games. The 27-year-old went 2-for-4 with a bases-clearing triple in the top of the sixth inning with the game deadlocked. He finished with four RBIs.

"This year, he's proved it," Cora said. "He's one of the best defenders in right field, as a base runner he's been really good for us and then the at-bats, you see the quality of it. This guy, five, six years ago, they were talking about him like a five-tool player. I think we're getting the closest version of that. There's more there, but will take him the way he's been playing here."

Cora hasn't been shy about challenging Verdugo, believing the corner outfielder could offer more than what he was delivering. Earlier this month, Cora benched Verdugo for a series finale against the Guardians in Cleveland for failing to hustle to second base on a grounder.

Since then, Verdugo has been on a tear, batting .413 in 10 games while Cora moves him around the top of the order.

"He always responds," Cora said. "There's a lot of stuff that you guys don't know that has happened throughout the years. There's a lot of conversations in the office."

After Christian Vázquez leveled the score for the Twins in the fifth inning of Monday's contest, it was Verdugo who came up with the biggest response. He fell into an 0-2 hole with lefty reliever Jovani Moran pumping two fastballs into the strike zone. But then when Moran tried to go to his changeup on the next pitch, Verdugo rocketed the offering down the first-base line to bring in all three runners and give the Red Sox a 6-3 lead.

"Against that lefty, he came right after me, threw me two heaters, was down 0-2 and just wanted to fight, right?" Verdugo told reporters, as seen on NESN postgame coverage. "Just wanted to get in there, get a good pitch and he left a pitch out over that we were able to hit it down the line."

And more of that from Verdugo certainly will be a welcomed sight for Cora.