Red Sox Rookie's Immediate Production Creates Surprising Questions For Boston

Boston's 26-year-old infielder has answered the call

Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

Few narratives in Major League Baseball are more moving than a long-time minor leaguer succeeding on the big stage; it’s a story the Boston Red Sox are celebrating a lot these days.

On Monday, Boston’s newest call-up Mickey Gasper injected the Red Sox clubhouse — and fandom — with heart-warming inspiration by coming up clutch in his first MLB at-bat.

Outside of Gasper himself, no one in a Red Sox uniform likely felt Gasper’s victorious at-bat more deeply than Nick Sogard, who knows a thing or two about seizing the moment.

Sogard was promoted to Boston on August 2 after years in the minors, and he’s taken full advantage of the opportunity.

Sogard slashed a base hit in each of his first four games with the Red Sox and reached base safely in his first six.

He even made history at Fenway Park on Friday versus the Houston Astros, as reported by Sarah Barber of the Boston Globe.

“Friday night against the Astros, Sogard recorded two runs, a double, a walk, and a stolen base, becoming the first Red Sox to do so in a game within their first six career games since Ty LaForest in 1945,” Barber said.

“His call-up came after four straight months with at least 20 hits in Worcester — between April and July, Sogard had 93 hits and 12 home runs in 331 at-bats, and was batting .279/.382/.439.”

Sogard is now hitting .281/ .351/ .313 through nine games in the bigs, with seven runs scored and a stolen base to boot.

It’s not just Sogard’s offense that has been impressive, though, according to Red Sox manager Alex Cora.

“He’s a good defender, too,” Cora said, per Barber. “He doesn’t have the range of some others, but out conversion is good. He turns the double play.”

Sogard has already filled in at second base, shortstop, and third base for Boston. There are also reports that he’s effective in the outfield. As a switch-hitter who can be placed virtually anywhere on the diamond defensively, Sogard provides a lot of value at the Major League level, especially given the quality plate appearances he’s been stringing together.

If Sogard doesn't stick in Boston, he certainly will somewhere else.

Boston might be wise to create space for Sogard moving forward, however. His personality and playing style fit like a glove on the 2024 Red Sox, who have defied expectations and their youth this season by playing a fearless, gritty brand of baseball.

Sogard’s a perfect lineup complement to guys like Rafael Devers and Jarren Duran, and his obvious comfort level in the Majors has introduced the question of what a Vaughn Grissom return will mean for the Red Sox.

Could Sogard’s rise allow Boston’s chief baseball officer Craig Breslow to ultimately trade Grissom? Grissom is an undeniably talented asset, but Breslow (and Cora) must consider team chemistry as they field a winner.

So far, Sogard looks like he was born to play for the Red Sox.

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