Many in Red Sox Nation have started growing tired of waiting for Dustin Pedroia. The four-time Gold Glove award winner started this season on the DL with a left knee injury. Many people bring up the idea of getting rid of the 2008 AL MVP. It seems as though many fans are comfortable with Eduardo Nunez being the everyday second baseman over the four-time All-Star, but they should not be.
Importance of Pedroia’s Defense
Eduardo Nunez is not a good defensive second baseman. His range has not been the same since his knee injury that he suffered last year. The difference between the two knee injuries was that since Nunez tried to play through his, he aggravated it, while the Red Sox were much more careful with Pedroia’s.
Dustin Pedroia will be a difference-maker defensively. He is a four-time Gold Glove Award winner, and he has never had a season with a negative dWAR (defensive wins above replacement) rating. So far this year, Nunez’s dWAR is -0.3, which needs improvement.
Pedroia at second base instead of Nunez will make the first baseman’s job much easier also, with more accurate throws coming from that direction. Also, pitchers will feel more comfortable throwing strikes with Pedroia behind them.
Pedroia’s Offense
Many of Pedroia’s doubters have not been paying attention to how bad of a year Eduardo Nunez is having offensively. Currently, he is hitting .233/.256/.353 in 150 at-bats. His OPS (.610) is 116 points below the league average. How could Dustin Pedroia do any better? I’ll tell you how.
The four-time All-Star had a great season in 2016. He hit .318/.376/.449/.825 in 154 games and 633 at-bats. While he may not have as great of a season as he did in 2016, there is no way his numbers will be too far from those. If that is not enough for you, last year he hit .293/.269/.392/.760 in 105 games last year. Sure, he may not be as durable as Nunez, but he is a clear offensive and defensive upgrade.
Pedroia’s Role in the Clubhouse
Credit: Christopher Evans.
Pedroia’s doubters also believe that he is not a leader in the clubhouse, but that is not true. Our roster is filled with young talent, and not many of them have played in Boston as long as Pedroia. Dustin Pedroia is a fan-favorite in Boston no matter how many doubters there are. He knows how to deal with the Boston media and will be the voice of the team.
In conclusion, the return of Dustin Pedroia will give a much-needed boost to a team that is playing .500 baseball in the last 24 games.