Iglesias making the most of his opportunity

About a week ago, Red Sox SS Stephen Drew took a pitch to the helmet and has yet to return, as he apparently is suffering post-concussion symptoms. Replacing the projected starter is the Sox is Jose Iglesias. Once arguably the Sox most coveted prospect, Iglesias' failure to improve his offensive talent left scouts less than impressed, regardless of his above-average defensive skills.

I wrote at the beginning of Spring Training of Iglesias and the awareness of how his bright future was quickly dimming. Well, with a fire lit inside of him, Iglesias has so far made the most of his increased repetitions that have come at the cost of Drew's injury. Manager John Farrell has taken notice:

"I just know the way he's swung the bat this spring," said Farrell, "I think he's starting to figure some things out with his set-up at the plate, which has translated into a much more free and much more aggressive approach. More than anything, because he's more upright in his set-up, he's seeing the ball better."

Farrell then went on to say that the team wanted him to focus on his strength and hitting over this past offseason:

"Strength in an of itself is going to allow him to repeat that swing more consistently," Farrell said. "That's what we're seeing. We're seeing some line drives into right-center field, straightaway right field. We don't want him to be just a guy who's going to just feel for the ball and look to be a slap-contact type of guy. But at the same time, there's an aggressive approach that works best for him." 

In what Iglesias himself dubbed as "the best offseason of my life", it looks like the work with Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia has been paying off. Iglesias has always been highly touted, but seriously lacked the offensive talent that is demanded of a major league player. Last season Iglesias batted .118 in the 25 games that he made an appearance in for the Sox. Although his current Spring Training stats may not give much proof (he's batting .226 according to MLB.com), Farrell's confidence in the young SS says a lot.

Anthony Aidonidis
@aidonidis18