Will Middlebrooks is heating up.
Yes, the same Will Middlebrooks that was sent down to the minors on June 21 when he was hitting an abysmal .192/.228/.389 has returned and given the Red Sox a much needed boost at the hot corner.
When Middlebrooks was recalled from AAA Pawtucket on August 10th, he was greeted by a wave of questions and speculations about the impending call up of phenom Xander Bogaerts.
Bogaerts, the Red Sox top prospect had produced a slash line of .297/.388/.477 while hitting 15 home runs and driving in 67 runs between AA Portland and AAA Pawtucket. Bogaerts was expected to be called up soon after Middlebrooks and split time at third base down the stretch.
Bogaerts was recalled from AAA 10 days after Middlebrooks and has gone 6 for 20 since being called up in limited playing time.
Middlebrooks, however, returned from AAA with a vengeance and has reclaimed to starting third base job that was occupied by Brock Holt and Brandon Snyder for a little more than 2 months. In the 27 days since his recall from AAA Middlebrooks has hit .347 with 4 home runs, 14 RBI's and an OBP of .412
The resurgence of Will Middlebrooks couldn't have come at a better time for the Boston Red Sox. When Middlebrooks was recalled on August 10th the Red Sox were getting little to no offensive production from Holt and Snyder at third base and had also seen Mike Napoli fall into a month long slump that caused manager John Farrell to drop him from the number 5 hole in the order.
Middlebrooks may be the answer to both of those problems. He has already cured the problem at the hot corner and has become one of, if not the most productive number 9 hitter in the American League. He has the potential to solve the Red Sox middle of the order woes as well.
While, Mike Napoli has reached a career high in RBI's (78), he has also reached a career high in strikeouts (171) and has his lowest slugging percentage since 2009. Since the 1st of August Napoli is hitting just .238, the third lowest on the team over that stretch behind Jonny Gomes (.229) and Mike Carp (.235) both of whom have attempted to take Napoli's place providing protection for David Ortiz.
Will Middlebrooks seems primed to take over the 5 hole in the order until Napoli heats up if not for the remainder of the season. Nothing showed Middlebrooks was more ready for a return to the middle of the order than his at bat on Tuesday night against the Detroit Tigers.
Facing 19 game winner and the probable Cy Young winner Max Scherzer, Middlebrooks delivered when the Red Sox needed him most. Scherzer had made quick work of the Boston order all night before he ran into trouble in the fifth when Jonny Gomes singled to left and Stephen Drew followed with a ground rule double to right center. Scherzer responded by bowing away David Ross on three straight pitches for the second out of the inning.
Middlebrooks stepped to the plate representing what could have been the only opportunity to score off Scherzer for the rest of the night. He didn't wait around as he took a first pitch slider from Scherzer right back up the middle for two run single and what would eventually be the only runs the Red Sox would score.
That at bat against Max Scherzer showed a renewed approach and confidence from Will Middlebrooks. Before his demotion Middlebrooks likely would have tried to pull that slider from Scherzer out of Fenway, resulting in a ground ball that would have ended the inning.
In a playoff type atmosphere, against an ace, Middlebrooks delivered. That refined approach at the plate is the difference between the Will Middlebrooks that was hitting .198 early in the year and the one that has caught fire over the last month.
Will Middlebrooks has shown he can produce when the Red Sox need him most, and perhaps he could be the key to a successful October.
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