Christian Arroyo primed to become every day starter
Fresh off of his new agreement with the Red Sox for the 2023 season and avoiding arbitration, Christian Arroyo is ready to take over the reigns at a starting job this upcoming season. As a former first round pick, it’s time to live up to the expectations, and he has a golden opportunity right in front of him with how thin the Red Sox are in the middle infield.
Arroyo put together a very respectable season in 2022. He played a career high of 87 games and hit .286/.322/.414 with 16 doubles and six home runs. He set career highs in almost every category. Arroyo was one of the hottest hitters in all of baseball in August of 2022, going 35-for-94 (.372) with eight doubles and a .915 OPS in a 24-game stretch from July 30 to Aug. 28. Even extending a month further, Arroyo was one of the best hitters in the entire league in that span.
In the field, Arroyo played all of the diamond last season. He suited up 40 games at second base, 14 games at shortstop, 10 games at third base, 17 games in right field, and 9 games at first base. It might be safe to assume the first base experiment is over, after Arroyo injured himself trying to make a play last year.
The biggest factor for Arroyo has always been his health. Prior to last season’s career high of 87 games, the most he had played in a season is 57. With the departure of Xander Bogaerts and the injury to Trevor Story, 2023 would be a very convenient time for Arroyo to best his career high of games played. If its starting at second base or shortstop, the Red Sox will take any production they can from Arroyo.
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