Xander Bogaerts. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- Xander Bogaerts was an All-Star for the Red Sox in 2016--and that was a year after he batted .320!
The 25-year-old's preparing for his fifth full season in the majors and his new manager Alex Cora considers him one of the best shortstops in the game, despite a down year that featured just a .273 average, .746 OPS, 10 homers, and 62 RBI.
"You look at his numbers, his on-base percentage last year, it wasn't that bad," said Cora. "Sometimes you have a bad year, and it happens. People bounce back. But physically, he's up there with the best of them. Mentally, he's in a good place right now. That's a guy that, I'm looking forward to working with him on a daily basis."
Alex Cora Excited About 'Hungry' Red Sox Rotation
By Adam Kaufman
Cora said the Red Sox are hoping for more consistency from Bogaerts.
"There's certain things that, offensively, we feel that he can do, put himself in a better hitting position, that is gonna help him out," he said.
Boston's first full squad workouts are Monday. The Sox' first exhibition game is a week from tomorrow.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Adam Kaufman reports