COMMENTARY
Does Xander Bogaerts follow what pundits around the league say about him? Most players generally tell you they don’t.
But it’s funny to think of Bogaerts seeing ESPN’s ranking of him as just the ninth-best shortstop in the league before the season and going full-on Michael Jordan “…and I took that personally” mode on Major League Baseball.
Just look at him now.
About a month into the 2021 season, Bogaerts stands alone as the best offensive shortstop in all of baseball.
— Red Sox (@RedSox) May 2, 2021
Aside from home runs and RBI — where he still ranks well compared to other major league shortstops — it’s hard to find a major hitting metric Bogaerts isn’t dominating his peers in.