Starting for the second straight game and the third time in four, Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts went 2 for 3 with a double, a walk and two runs scored Sunday against the Yankees, but the 20-year-old prospect has impressed his coaches with more than just his performance, according to WEEI.com.
"He's been all eyes and ears. He asks great questions," manager John Farrell said. "This has been invaluable, the time that he’s been here so far. He’s got a bright future."
Splitting his time between shortstop and third base to give Stephen Drew and Will Middlebrooks occasional days off, Bogaerts has hit .303 in 33 at-bats.
"If you make a pitch out over the plate, he's likely to put a good swing on it," Farrell said. "There's strength, there's bat speed, there's a good plane through the strike zone with the swing."
With Drew entering free agency this offseason, Bogaerts is a candidate to take over as the Red Sox's starting shortstop in 2014.