Alex Verdugo poised for a breakout year in 2023
At the end of last season, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that outfielder Alex Verdugo needed to take the biggest leap forward in 2023.
Verdugo who finished his third season with the Red Sox in 2022, he hit .280 with 166 hits, 39 doubles, one triple, 11 homers, 74 RBIs with a .732 OPS.
One key stat that everyone looks at is WAR and Verdugo’s WAR. The Arizona native had a 1.2 WAR down from 2.2 the previous season.
Verdugo saw his on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS take a step backwards. This prompted his skipper to acknowledge his opportunities offensively and defensively.
“Yeah, he hit for average, but he can be a lot better baserunning, defensively,” Cora said to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. “He’s getting to that area in his career that’s, ‘Who is he gonna be?’ We talked about this with (Andrew Benintendi) a few years ago, right? You see the player he has become. (Benintendi) has become a better defender, a good hitter. I think Verdugo has the chance to hit for power, hit for average, but he can impact the game running the bases and playing defense.
"We're going to push him hard this offseason to get back to play faster, to play quicker. I think athletic-wise, he can do that."
There is no debate that Verdugo should look to work on improving his ability on the base paths. However defensively, he made one less error this past year while playing in 100+ additional innings. Also, fans should keep in mind that Verdugo was playing with a broken toe at one point during the regular season, according to a tweet from brother Chris Verdugo.
“Players don’t like talking about playing through injuries, Alex just doesn’t want to go on the IL, and sometimes it’s to the detriment of his stats, but he prides himself on trying to be out there playing everyday,” his brother tweeted.
The 26-year-old outfielder is looking to put 2022 in the rearview mirror and is poised for a breakout season.
“He’s working out at a speed and agility center in Rancho, he’s looks lean, working on being quicker and more focus on athletic movements in his lifting routines.
“Boston trainers gave him a workout plan to follow and he’s doing it and then some. Last year we focused on strength and adding size, but the ball changes hurt him, Alex was in top 10 unluckiest hitters in MLB last year. 2023 will be a laser show,” Verdugo’s brother tweeted.
Fans will get their first look at Verdugo for the upcoming season when he takes the field for Team Mexico for the World Baseball Classic.
“I stay true to my roots and true to where I’m from,” Verdugo told MLB.com’s Martín Gallegos during his second campaign with the Red Sox in October 2021. “It’s special for me, man. I love the colors. Putting them on just makes me feel a type of way.”
A successful World Baseball Classic for Verdugo could set him up nicely for a breakout 2023 season.
Follow Chris on Twitter @ChrisHenrique
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