In late August, Mookie Betts returned to Fenway Park for the first time since he was traded to the Dodgers. Without doubt, the return was EPIC and he got a standing ovation. In the 3-game series against the Red Sox at Fenway Park, Mookie Betts collected 7 hits. He surely likes to hit at Fenway Park. After watching Betts’ great performance at Fenway Park, I was thinking about a question.
Mookie Betts is a great player and he won the 2018 AL MVP award. During his time with the Red Sox, he spent most of his time in the outfield. After he was traded to the Dodgers, which players have become the everyday outfielders for the Red Sox? Do they contribute a lot to the Red Sox?
In the blockbuster trade in 2020, the Dodgers sent Alex Verdugo, Jeter Downs and Connor Wong to the Red Sox. Since 2020, Alex Verdugo has been the everyday outfielder for the Red Sox. Over these 4 seasons, he has played 400+ games for the Red Sox, slashing .281/.338/.424 with 43 home runs and 206 RBI.
In February 2021, Enrique Hernandez agreed to sign with the Red Sox. And, in July 2023, he was traded from the Red Sox to the Dodgers. In total, from 2021 to 2023, he played 313 games for the Red Sox, hitting .234/.308/.382 with 32 home runs and 136 RBI.
Moreover, the Red Sox selected Jarren Duran in the 7th round of the 2018 MLB draft. Duran made his MLB debut in 2021. From 2021 to 2023, he played 193 games, hitting .258/.309/.420 with 13 home runs and 67 RBI. In 2023, he played 102 games and it’s the first time that he played 100+ games in a single season. However, the Red Sox placed him on the IL in August.
Additionally, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Mookie Betts were teammates when the Red Sox won the 2018 World Series title. Jackie Bradley Jr. hit .283/.364/.450 with 7 home runs and 22 RBI in 2020. In March 2021, he signed with the Brewers. But, in December, he was traded to the Red Sox with Alex Binelas and David Hamilton. At the same time, the Brewers acquired Hunter Renfroe. But, the Red Sox released Bradley Jr. in August 2022. From 2020 to 2022, he batted .240/.303/.374 in 147 games with the Red Sox. And, we just mentioned the trade between the Brewers and the Red Sox. Outfielder Hunter Renfroe was in the trade, he was hitting .259/.315/.501 with 31 home runs and 96 RBI through 144 games in 2021.
Finally, in December 2021, the Red Sox signed Rob Refsnyder with a minor league deal and invited him to spring training. Over these 2 seasons, he played 146 games for the Red Sox, hitting .273/.373/.394 with 7 home runs and 49 RBI. Furthermore, the Red Sox and Masataka Yoshida agreed to a 5-year deal last December. In his first season with the Red Sox, he slashed .289/.338/.445 with 15 home runs and 72 RBI over 140 games.
By far, Mookie Betts has played 471 regular season games for the Dodgers since 2020. Looking at the Red Sox, only Alex Verdugo, who was in the blockbuster trade, played 400+ games for the Red Sox during the same period. Additionally, Mookie Betts has an OPS over .900 with the Dodgers. From 2020 to 2023, looking at those outfielders who played at least 140 games for the Red Sox, only Hunter Renfroe owned an OPS over .800. And, none of them was selected to the All-Star game. Well, Mookie Betts is an elite player and it’s not very fair to compare him to other players. But, let’s wait and see which Red Sox outfielder will become an All-Star.
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