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BOSTON -- Sophomore slump? Try sophomore sizzle.
Wilyer Abreu is not only the hottest hitter on the Red Sox to start the season, but he¡¯s setting the pace across MLB.
Through the first 10 games of the season, his batting line is .483/.595/.897 with three doubles, three homers and 12 RBIs. He also leads the Majors with a 1.492 OPS.
Considering that Abreu missed the first three weeks of Grapefruit League action as he battled back from a gastrointestinal virus, his start has been impressive.
But it¡¯s also a product of how hard he's worked in the offseason to become a more complete hitter than in an inconsistent rookie year, when his batting line was .253/.322/.459 with 15 homers, 58 RBIs, 40 walks and 125 strikeouts.
Out of the gate in ¡®25, Abreu has displayed more control of the strike zone, drawing eight walks while striking out four times.
¡°That was a focal point during the offseason and also in Spring Training,¡± Abreu said. ¡°I feel like last year, I struck out a lot. And when I don't strike out, I feel like I have a good opportunity to contribute to the team and hit the ball hard. So for me, it was a very important thing to try to cut down on strikeouts and also focus on the strike zone.¡±
Abreu is also using the whole field again. This is something he did during his 28-game callup in 2023, but not often enough last season.
"That¡¯s the hitter we saw [two] years ago,¡± said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. ¡°He can take advantage of the wall. He worked hard in the offseason with his swing and his body and right now his start is amazing.¡±
Abandoning last year¡¯s pull-happy approach paid off for Abreu when he belted a walk-off hit off the Green Monster, giving the Red Sox a 5-4 win in 10 innings over the Cardinals in Game 1 of Sunday¡¯s split doubleheader.
¡°Obviously, trying to use the whole field is a huge help,¡± Abreu said. ¡°And even more here in Fenway when we try to use the Monster to our advantage. If I'm able to do that consistently, it¡¯s going to be a very good year for me.¡±
It¡¯s not as if last year was anything to sneeze at. As a rookie, Abreu reeled in the American League¡¯s Gold Glove Award in right field. Making that even more noteworthy is that Fenway Park¡¯s right field is considered the most difficult in MLB to cover. In Sunday¡¯s nightcap, he came up throwing on a single and fired a bullet to third base to nail Lars Nootbaar. The throw was 90.7 mph, per Statcast.
If Abreu can raise his game offensively, he will become one of the most well-rounded outfielders in the game.
Abreu was off to a strong start last season but lost momentum on June 2, when he severely sprained his right ankle. Though he returned to action 10 days later, Abreu¡¯s bat didn¡¯t return to the form it was before the injury.
The 25-year-old often goes under the radar as part of a talented young core that includes Jarren Duran, Triston Casas and Kristian Campbell. But he will never complain about that.
The soft-spoken Abreu has always preferred to let his bat and glove do the talking for him.
¡°Like I always say, I don't try to do too much,¡± said Abreu. ¡°Just stay within my plan and try to control the strike zone. For me, that¡¯s been a big key and that¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to do.¡±