Michael Chavis' hot start for the Boston Red Sox has gotten attention. He has performed better than expected and surprisingly has been able to handle the defensive duties at second base for the Sox. His accelerated development has excited many, and it seemingly bodes well for his future.
And now that he has been in the big leagues long enough, Chavis is drawing comparisons to other pro players. Recently, he was compared to a long-time NL East second baseman.
“He reminds me of Dan Uggla,” said one scout per Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. “It’s not perfect defensively but it’s effective enough, and he hits. He’s a good athlete.”
That's an inspiring comparison for Chavis, as Uggla was once one of the better offensive second basemen in the MLB.
Uggla played 10 years in the majors and early on in his career, he was one of the few power-hitting second basemen in the league. He had at least 27 homers in each of his first six seasons, and he finished his career with 235 dingers. His career average was just .241, but was a better contact hitter in his first five seasons, recording a .263 average. He also had a 33-game hit streak in 2011, so he consistently hit the ball.
If Chavis can provide the Red Sox with the power punch that Uggla had and solid enough defense, that would be huge for their future. Given that he has already cracked seven homers in just 89 at-bats, he seems well on his way to doing that. And right now, he's holding up well at second base, so perhaps he can lock down that position moving forward.
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It's also possible that Chavis could have a better and longer career than Uggla. The former Marlin, Brave, and National didn't break into the league until he was 26. Chavis is only 23.
In the piece by the Globe, Abraham also identified Daniel Murphy (.298, 124 homers in 11 seasons) as a player comparable to Chavis. If he continues to hit as well as he has, these comps will certainly be warranted.
TOMASE: Time for Chavis to make the adjustment>>>
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