David Hamilton will have the green light when on base with the Red Sox
Hamilton has 29 steals stolen bases between Boston and Triple-A this year
David Hamilton stole 70 bases last season and in the process set a new organization record. The lightning fast infielder has been running wild on the bases and it has finally landed him with the Red Sox.
Hamilton joined the team after the Sox placed Corey Kluber on the 15-day IL with right shoulder inflammation.
Now that he’s with the Sox, he can showcase his speed on the bases like he’s done in the minors.
“His stolen bases have really stuck out and last year as an elite game-changer on the bases,” said Red Sox minor league coordinator Darren Fenster to Boston Sports Journal.
“He’s had some ups and downs offensively. Hamilton got into our system from a defensive perspective and does the things we believe in. We feel like someone with his ability, he can really take off,” added Fenster.
Hamilton has stolen two bases in his first three games. The rookie has the green light to steal more when he gets on base.
“When [he] gets on base, he’ll get the chance,” Red Sox bench coach Ramón Vázquez said. “If you can get a good jump, go. Look at his minor league numbers.”
His minor league numbers are impressive. This season with the WooSox, Hamilton was swiped 27 bags. To highlight his speed beyond his stolen bases, earlier this season after walking he advanced from first to third on a ground ball in the infield. It should be noted there was no errors or miscues on the play, just straight hustle from Hamilton.
“He’s an elite athlete and he’s developed a really consistent routine both offensively and defensively. That started last year in Portland and now in Worcester. It’s to the point where he knows what to do to get ready to compete every night, he really understands himself as a player and his strengths, weaknesses and how to attack them both. We’ve seen significant gains in really every aspect of his game coming from his total body of work last year to what he’s shown so far this year,” said Fenster.
Now that Hamilton has arrived, his speed and positional versatility will be able to impact the Sox and that should come after more seasoning in Triple-A.
“I think he has the ability to do a lot of different things. I could see him playing shortstop on an everyday basis at a very high level. I could see him bouncing all over the place in the middle of the diamond from short to second to center field.
“When someone is trying to break into the big leagues, it's not necessarily an everyday spot that’s available. A lot can depend on who’s healthy and who’s not, who’s struggling and who’s not struggling. The versatility we're developing not just Hamilton but with a number of other players coming up through the system, it puts them into a great position if something opens up,” said Fenster.
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