Alex Cora declared last offseason that in order to build upon the wildly successful 2018, Andrew Benintendi would hit leadoff in 2019, bumping Mookie Betts to the 2-hole. To say the least, Cora’s plan failed, along with the Boston Red Sox season.
Benintendi struggled for the first two months of the season, hitting .257 with six home runs and 24 RBI by the end of May. Not great for a leadoff hitter! With Benintendi’s continued struggles, a change had to be made. By the first game of June, Betts was hitting leadoff for the Red Sox once again.