Chris Young Deserves His Playing Time

(June 7, 2016 - Source: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images North America)
Evan Marinofsky
Contributing Writer

Back in April, I wrote a blog about how I didn't want Chris Young on the Red Sox anymore, and there was evidence to back it up: 2 hits in 17 at-bats. At the time, John Farrell was pinch-hitting Chris Young for guys like Brock Holt and Travis Shaw against lefties despite Holt and Shaw being fine against them.

Well, as of June 12, I like Young. I really like Young. I like him to the point where I wouldn't mind him being an everyday-player.

Currently, Young sports a .290 batting average with 5 home runs and 14 RBI. In June, he's batting .357 with 4 home runs and 8 RBI. In May, he batted .316.

In the recent series against the San Francisco Giants, he went 3-for-6 and was a key player in one of the most telling and important series' of the year for the Sox.



And don't forget about his defense either.



With Young playing this well, and Holt going to be back soon off of the Disabled List, the question then lies in who starts in left field for the Red Sox.

Holt is batting .239 on the season. It has become clear that we'd much rather have Holt as the lovable, super-utility guy, rather than the everyday-left fielder. April wasn't bad for Holt, as he batted .265 with 2 HRs and 14 RBI. But May was much worse, as he batted .200.

Surprisingly, the Red Sox are still contenders up to this point in the season. They are tied with the Baltimore Orioles for first in the AL East. When Holt gets back, Farrell needs to go with the hot-hand and play Young over him.

Young may have been brought on this team to only really hit against lefties, but he still has 4 of his 5 HRs against righties, as well as a .230 batting average.

The only reason that I don't put Blake Swihart as the everyday-left fielder going forward is because I believe he will most likely be traded for some form of starting pitching. Swihart's defense has been good out in left field, and his bat hasn't been bad. But with his age and potential, many teams could find him rather intriguing.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Farrell go with a platoon of Swihart and Young in left field going forward with Holt going back to being a utility player.

At any rate, Young has been hot of late and deserves to be in the lineup for it.

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