The Boston Red Sox’s outfield has a new look for the 2024 season. Tyler O’Neill, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Rob Refsnyder and Ceddanne Rafaela have put on a show in Boston’s outfield and some have been electric on the offensive side of the ball as well.
But before all the changes were made for 2024, Red Sox Nation had grown used to seeing Alex Verdugo in right field. Boston’s outfield defense hasn’t suffered in his absence, but seeing him play so well for its arch-rival stings a bit.
Verdugo bats.264/349/432 with five homers and six doubles for the New York Yankees. He has frequently accompanied his squad while sharing his joy with his new best friends, Aaron Judge and Juan Soto.
Verdugo hit a three-run homer in the first inning of the May 7 game against the Astros for the Yankees. He hit an extra-innings homer against the Diamondbacks in New York’s second series of the season, and his three hits and four RBI contributed significantly to Justin Verlander’s seven-run throttling.
He has also made some nice outfield catches, as he usually does, and he has provided the Yankees with stability—since Brett Gardner left the team in 2021, they have started 16 different left field players.
Verdugo’s move to the Yankees, however, is that everyone loves him. Verdugo was a big part of the cultural transformation that occurred in New York this offseason. He, Marcus Stroman, and Juan Soto have worked to improve the Yankees’ “professional” image, which a lot of people hold in the mud love. Verdugo was still shaved on his face and only allowed one chain per game in New York, but Dugie’s energy is a step into the modern era for the Yanks.
