The Boston Red Sox acquired Brock Holt in the 2012 offseason. He quickly became a fan favorite due to his all out hustle. In 2014 he finished eighth in Rookie of the Year voting, and was an All-Star the following season. Since his breakout 2015 season, Holt’s averaged has dropped from .280 to a career low .200 last year. So far this season he has shown that his All-Star form may not be gone as it appeared to be.
Holt’s Uncertain Spring Training
When Spring Training began, Holt found himself in an odd position. For the first time since being traded to Boston, he was fighting for a spot on the roster. He was coming off a year in which he hit a career low .200 and battled injuries for a second consecutive year. Holt’s competition was a former top prospect Blake Swihart and defensive standout in Devin Marrero. It seemed as if Holt’s tenure in Boston was coming to an end. Holt won a bench spot after he hit .308 in seventeen games, and he has carried that momentum into the regular season.
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Brock Holt’s Hot Start
Holt began 2018 struggling at the plate. On April 10th, shortstop Xander Bogaerts was placed on the ten day DL due to an ankle injury. This was Holt’s opportunity to get regular at bats. He took full advantage, as from April 17th to 26th he raised his average from .207 to .340. During that span Holt had six runs batted in. Last year, in 64 games he had only seven runs batted in. Holt already has seven extra base hits, which is more than he had all of last year (6). Unfortunately for Brock, the Red Sox were forced to place him on the ten day DL on Friday due to a left hamstring strain.
Photo Credit: Jae C. Hong AP/ Photo
Can He Keep It Up?
Holt will not bat .340 all year, and this injury should not ruin his season. For the first time in two years, Holt is showing life with the bat that many thought was gone. The Red Sox do not need him to hit .340 all year as anything he adds with the bat is a plus. If he can hit .280 like he did from 2014-2015, then the Red Sox bench becomes much deeper. It allows the Red Sox to play Holt all over the diamond without losing any offense. This will be key down the stretch as the Red Sox look to keep their stars such as Bogaerts and Pedroia fresh for the playoffs. Holt’s resurgence gives this team more weapons and reminds people why he is so important to this team.