Mark Contreras off to a hot start at the plate in spring training
With spring training underway, there are plenty of new faces in Fort Myers battling for a spot on the Red Sox roster. That includes Mark Contreras, who was signed to a minor-league deal by the Red Sox in November. During the first week of Grapefruit League play he has quickly made a great first impression.
In his first two games of the spring, Contreras provided the fireworks with two home runs. While the Moreno Valley, California native is still a long shot to make the roster, his power has been on full display. That could be useful if injuries force the Red Sox to rely on their depth once the regular season begins.
Although Contreras may not be a familiar name to Red Sox fans, he does have some MLB experience. During the 2022 season, he played in 28 games for the Twins and posted a .121 batting average. He struggled to get on base but showed some power with three home runs.
As the 29-year-old tries to carve out a role, he does have some success in the minors to fall back on. He has hit 68 home runs in six minor league seasons. He also drove in 294 runs in that span and finished the 2023 campaign in Triple-A. The former ninth-round pick showed some encouraging signs last year, as he finished the season with a .278 batting average.
While Contreras won't keep up his homer per-game pace during all of spring training, he has been a bright spot. Both of his home runs were crushed and have made him a popular name on social media.
Regardless of what unfolds over the next few weeks, Contreras has been a walking highlight reel whenever he steps to the plate. The Red Sox hope that continues, whether it's in the majors or Worcester.
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