The Boston Red Sox had one of the most intriguing offseasons in the MLB. Boston was quick to bolster its starting rotation by adding Walker Buehler and Garret Crochet. Plenty of fans thought these were the only transactions the Red Sox needed to make to insert themselves back into the conversation of postseason contenders.
Craig Breslow and his colleagues decided to apply the 'go big or go home' mentality, shocking the baseball world by signing Alex Bregman despite having a proven third baseman in Rafael Devers. Bregman has gotten off to a rough start for Boston, but it has yet to cause concern thanks to the performance of an unsung hero.
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Red Sox Wilyer Abreu's start overshadows Bregman's struggles
In the first two games of the season, Alex Bregman has only one hit in eight at-bats. Especially in a high-pressure market like Boston, this would typically result in a lot of frustration from the fan base considering they paid him $120 million for three seasons (even if it is just two games into the season). However, Wilyer Abreu could have saved Bregman from some heckling.
On Opening Day, Abreu went 3-3 with two home runs and drove in four of the Red Sox' five runs in their victory over the Rangers. In game two of the series, Abreu went 2-3 driving in the lone run scored by Boston in a 4-1 loss. To put into perspective how impressive it is to have these performances in the first two games of the season, Abreu's batting average is now .833.
Obvioulsy, no one expects Abreu to keep the pace he is on — but we have seen players ride a hot streak for an entire season thanks to the confidence built early. Abreu is doing what the Red Sox expect Alex Bregman to throughout the year.
Bregman will undoubtedly turn things around — perhaps not being signed until so late in the offseason and all of the drama regarding the third base position could be playing a factor in his slow start. If Abreu continues to carry the Red Sox offense, look for Bregman to take off in the next couple weeks as his teammate's hot start relieves some pressure from the former Astros star.