Mazz: At this stage of his career, Bogaerts is now an X-factor

Author Tony Massarotti

May 7th, 2021 7:55 AM

By Tony Massarotti, 98.5 The Sports Hub

Xander Bogaerts played the 1,000th game of his Red Sox career yesterday, which in and of itself is nothing more than a cute bit of trivia. What should interest you far more right now is the way he is playing, which is to say that you may never see him any better than he is right now.

And what he is right now is MVP-caliber.

Don’t misunderstand. We’re not saying that Bogaerts is the MVP of the 2021 American League season, because it’s way too early for that. What we are saying is that his level of play at the moment is positively stratospheric, which warrants your attention for an assortment of reasons, beginning with …

• His bat

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  Don’t look now, but Bogaerts ranks 12th in the major leagues in OPS (.995) and fifth in batting average (.356) while hitting in the heart of a Red Sox lineup that leads the major leagues in runs scored. Of the top 23 players in the majors in OPS, he is the only middle infielder on the list – and the next closest is Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story (23rd), who plays in Colorado, where gravity is comparable to that on the moon. The number, of course, are one thing, but what should also impress you about Bogaerts is …

• His consistency

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  For starters, Bogaerts has played in 30 of the team’s 32 games this year. After a forgettable start to the season for all the Sox – they were dreadful in a season-opening sweep at the hands of the Baltimore Orioles – Bogaerts is batting .387 with a 1.086 OPS in 27 games with 41 hits and just 18 strikeouts. During that stretch, he has just two games during which he has failed to reach base via hit or walk – and one of those was a seven-inning game. Which brings us to …

• His age

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  Bogaerts is still just 28, which sometimes seems unfathomable given how long he has been in the organization. While he may not necessarily be getting better, he is basically at the peak of his career, which should extend for another few seasons at least. Since Alex Cora first became manager in 2018, Bogaerts is ninth in the majors in OPS among players with at least 1,500 plate appearances – and the only middle infielder. And as for his play in the field, let's just say that an underrated part of his game is …
• His defense

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  Let’s also make this part clear: is he Ozzie Smith or Omar Vizquel? No. But the modern metrics don’t do him justice. Bogaerts makes all of the plays he should and some of the plays he shouldn’t, including a terrific backhanded stop-and-throw in the hole in the first inning two nights ago. Since the start of the 2018 season, he ranks eighth among all qualifying major league shortstops in defensive value according to fangraphs. As for the intangibles, let’s not forget …

• His professionalism

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  OK, let’s play word association. You say Xander Bogaerts, I say … Patrice Bergeron. Think about it. Understated. Productive. Dignified. Respected by teammates and opponents alike. Both are lead-by-example types who have never once brought any real level of shame or embarrassment to their respective organizations. If you’re a parent looking for a role model, both are your guy. The one thing we need to worry about with Bogaerts is …

• His future

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  Yes, it’s early. Bogaerts is currently in the second year of a six-year contract, though he has an opt-out clause after next season. But more than that, the Red Sox need to maximize his peak years – and that means starting now. The Sox have been a pleasant surprise thus far, but they’re not championship-caliber. They’re trying to rebuild their farm system. But if the Sox are still in the race come July – and the American League is largely mediocre this year - don’t they owe it to him, especially, to surround him with better pieces?

You can hear Tony Massarotti weekdays from 2-6 p.m. EST on the Felger & Massarotti program. Follow him on Twitter @TonyMassarotti.

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Author Tony Massarotti

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000th game,1,Alex Cora,Boston Red Sox,consistency,Defense,future,MVP,Offense,OPS,patrice bergeron,professionalism,xander bogaerts