Raimel Tapia has been a valuable fourth outfielder for the Red Sox
Photo Credit: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images
During spring training, Raimel Tapia was the talk of Red Sox camp. He was an on-base machine and made hard contact seemingly daily. His impressive play earned him a spot on the Red Sox roster. While his bat has cooled down, the 29-year-old is proving to be a valuable bench piece.
Through 78 at-bats, the Dominican native has posted a .256 batting average and driven in eight runs. Those numbers may not jump off the page, but Tapia has looked better at the plate lately, with seven hits in his last eight games. As wins become more valuable, Tapia’s bat is heating up and making an impact with his legs.
In 35 games, Tapia has stolen five bases. He only needed three steals to match his total from last season, which would be the third-highest total of his career. While he isn’t playing every day, Tapia is making the most of his opportunities. His ability to put together good at-bats has been valuable as the Red Sox offense has been without crucial pieces such as Adam Duvall and Trevor Story.
After thriving against Red Sox pitching for most of his career, Tapia is carving out a role-playing for the team he tormented. He has been perfect in the field and has not committed an error. Tapia is not afraid to sacrifice his body as he did on Saturday night when he nearly made a diving catch in left field. He has also shown some power, as four of his 20 hits this season have gone for extra bases.
While the season is far from over, Tapia is on the verge of reaching a significant career milestone. He is only a hit short of 500 in his career, which is no easy feat. The Red Sox hope it is only one of many.
As the Red Sox look to earn a playoff spot, they will need Tapia to continue providing a spark off the bench. After hitting .231 in April, he is hitting .269 in May with two games left in the month. Alex Cora has been able to maximize his strengths, and Tapia has rewarded his manager's faith.
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