It’s still uncertain which position Alex Bregman will be playing for the Boston Red Sox this season, but one thing is for sure – he made quite the impression in his spring training debut with his new team.
Bregman kicked off Grapefruit League play with a stellar 3-for-3 performance against the Toronto Blue Jays, including a home run, double, and single. He even started at third base, his usual position, as Rafael Devers was not in the lineup that day.
The highlight of Bregman’s day was a 2-run home run off Andrew Bash in the second inning, extending the Red Sox’s lead to 3-0. With a 2-1 count, Bash threw a fastball down the middle, and Bregman took full advantage by sending it over the park’s version of the Green Monster.
Against Toronto starter Yariel Rodríguez, Bregman also singled in his first at-bat and doubled off Jake Bloss in the fourth inning. He ended the day with three RBI, including driving in Nate Eaton with his double before being replaced by Tyler Miller in the sixth inning.
“It felt great. Kind of breaks the ice on Spring Training,” Bregman commented on his performance to MLB.com. “You kind of get to feeling a little bit better.
“We’ve been working hard on some mechanical things that I was doing early in my career, that I kind of stopped doing the last few years, and been working hard in the cage… and was happy to see some good swings today.”
The Red Sox are hoping that Bregman’s success at Fenway Park will mirror his performance with the Houston Astros. In 21 games against the Red Sox, he boasted a .375 average with a 1.240 OPS, along with nine doubles, seven home runs, and 15 RBI.
Another standout in the Red Sox’s spring debut was pitcher Garrett Crochet, who was acquired from the Chicago White Sox in December. Crochet fanned four Toronto batters and allowed three hits in 1 2/3 innings. He even struck out the side in the first inning, throwing 26 pitches with 17 strikes.