Red Sox: 3 glaring roster holes keeping Boston out of the World Series
By Tim Boyle
2) Red Sox roster hole: Bobby Dalbec is a weak choice for first base
Outfielders as supposed to provide some offense to a major league ball club. Well before them on the list of players who should be able to hit is the first baseman. Often reserved for future designated hitters who can still move around effectively, the Red Sox are getting another underwhelming season out of their first baseman, Bobby Dalbec.
Now in his third major league season, the power-hitting first baseman has seen his slash line totals tank. Through 83 plate appearances, Dalbec is a .147/.217/.337 hitter with 25 strikeouts already this season. He makes the outfielders look like Carl Yastremzki, Ted Williams, and Jim Rice.
Dalbec actually had a strong spring. In his 39 opportunities, he hit .333/.385/.667 with 3 home runs. It was a promising start to 2022 for a guy who hit .240/.298/.494 last year for the Red Sox while gaining some respect for his 25 home runs. Certainly one of those all-or-nothing types of sluggers, he has been a whole lot more of “nothing” through the first few weeks of the 2022 season.
Dalbec is still young and with the right lineup around him can thrive. The problem for Boston this year has been the overall roster has not been good enough. This includes Dalbec who needs to start hitting at least where he did last year to keep a permanent spot as the starting first baseman in Beantown.