Tyler O’Neill Believes He Can Recapture MVP-Like Form With Red Sox

It was just a few seasons ago that newly acquired Boston Red Sox outfielder Tyler O’Neill put himself in the National League MVP conversation.

He finished eighth in the league’s MVP voting for the 2021 season, hitting a solid .286 with a career-high 34 home runs and 80 RBIs to go along with 15 stolen bases. He added to what he did at the plate by winning his second Gold Glove award, too.

O’Neill’s production the last two seasons never came close to matching what he did in 2021, though. He struggled with injuries, playing in just 168 games while combining for 23 homers and 79 RBIs.

So, was the 2021 season just an outlier for the 28-year-old outfielder?

O’Neill, who the Red Sox acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals nearly two weeks ago, doesn’t think so and believes he can at least get close to replicating how he performed a few years back.

“I know the skill that I have is still in there. It’s just a matter of being consistent,” O’Neill told The Boston Globe’s Julian McWilliams. “I’ve done a lot of different things with my training program and my dieting over the last couple of years to try and find the tweak that I need.

“I really feel like I’m on a good path right now with what I’ve been doing at the end of last season, into this offseason and carrying it to next year. I really like where I’m at physically, strength-wise, explosive-wise, my energy levels. So for me, it’s just about staying on the field and staying healthy.”

Health might be one of the most important factors for O’Neill. He missed over two months last season due to a lower back strain and spent more time on the injured list at the end of the campaign due to a right foot sprain.

If O’Neill, who will probably play regularly with the ability to man all three outfield spots, can stay on the field, he has a skill set that should aid the Red Sox by being able to blend power with speed.

And O’Neill certainly has the belief that he can get the job done with his new team.

“I have all the confidence in the world of the ability that I have, that I can bring to a baseball game,” O’Neill said. “So I’m just looking forward to utilizing that in Fenway Park and just seeing where it goes.”