Inside The Red Sox

Red Sox Role Player Shines in WBC; Making Case For Additional Playing Time

Boston could have some unexpected depth on their roster

Steve Perrault

Red Sox Role Player Shines in WBC; Making Case For Additional Playing Time
Red Sox Role Player Shines in WBC; Making Case For Additional Playing Time /
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Boston Red Sox infielder Yu Chang took the World Baseball Classic by storm over the weekend, and it's hard to say any of us saw it coming.

Chang represented Chinese Taipei in the WBC and got his home country of Taiwan going absolutely wild for a four-game stretch.

Chang went 7-for-16 with two home runs and eight RBIs in group play, which was good enough to be named the MVP of Pool A.

Chinese Taipei was unable to advance to the knockout stages, but that certainly didn't affect the impact this weekend had on the Red Sox utility man.

After a decisive 7-1 loss to Cuba in their final game on Sunday, Chang couldn't hold back the tears.

Chang has played for four different Major League Baseball teams during his four-year career thus far. It's safe to say the overly welcoming home crowd played a role in him letting it all out after an impressive run for him and his team.

This tweet from his postgame press conference really caught my attention.

"I feel like no one is with me" was a tough line to read.

I'm encouraged to see an MLB player being honest about the struggles of just staying in the big leagues. It's something that I don't think we give them nearly enough credit for. These are the elite of the elite. The absolute best at what they do. This was a friendly reminder that the human element should be factored in more often from the fan perspective with these players.

The Red Sox signed Chang to a one-year, $850,000 deal in February amid the news that former All-Star shortstop Trevor Story would miss at least the first half of this upcoming season after having right elbow surgery.

Even though Chang only played in 11 games for Boston last year, he is still a potential candidate to play an important role off the bench this season.

If this WBC is any indicator of his ceiling as a player, the Sox may be in a better position than expected heading into what promises to be an interesting year.

More MLB: Red Sox Nation To Get First Look At Intriguing Top Prospect In First Grapefruit League Start

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Steve Perrault
STEVE PERRAULT

Steve Perrault covers the Red Sox as a host of the ITM Podcast and writer for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before joining SI Media Group, Steve was the host and producer of the popular Section 10 Podcast with Barstool Sports since 2015. He has covered the Red Sox for nine seasons now and has interviewed several of the best players in franchise history. Through building a large presence on social media, Steve has been able to make a big impact among Red Sox fans all over the country. Steve has also hosted radio shows with WEEI. Here he mainly breaks down Major League Baseball topics in the most entertaining ways possible. Steve comes from Hingham, MA and has been a lifelong supporter of the Red Sox and local professional teams. He also has an obsession with honey mustard and sneakers.

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