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Red Sox's Rising Slugger Elevates From Platoon Status Amid Breakout Season

Boston has had more than a few pleasant surprises this season
Scott Neville|
Red Sox's Rising Slugger Elevates From Platoon Status Amid Breakout Season
Red Sox's Rising Slugger Elevates From Platoon Status Amid Breakout Season

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Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox have had their fair share of ups and downs but have exceeded expectations one month into the season. 

The biggest reason for the team's success has been some fantastic play from players who entered the season with low expectations.

Jarren Duran, Josh Winckowski and Kutter Crawford are all playing out of their minds this season despite disappointing rookie seasons. But that's not all.

Red Sox catcher Connor Wong is a rising star on the roster that provides stability to the back of the lineup. Entering the season, fellow backstop Reese McGuire played against right-handers and Wong handled the southpaws. 

When McGuire struggled defensively -- namely against baserunners -- Wong started to get some time as an everyday catcher. Now that Wong's bat has come around to match his defensive superiority, the 25-year-old appears to be taking over as the primary backstop. 

Wong had a four-hit game Tuesday night against the Toronto Blue Jays, including a pair of home runs. The second bomb of the night gave Boston the lead to close out a 7-6 win. 

After the monster performance, Wong is hitting .290 with eight extra-base hits including three home runs, 10 RBIs and a .869 OPS in 23 games. 

A day later, Red Sox manager Alex Cora decided to place Wong in the lineup over McGuire against right-handed pitcher Alek Manoah. 

Cora has been aggressive with pinch-hitting, which often leads to both catchers playing in the same games. McGuire could be involved in the gameplan but Wong is starting to separate himself as the primary man behind the plate. 

What's even wilder is that McGuire has been far from a slouch himself. His exit velocity leaves something to be desired but he's hitting .327 with a .761 OPS and has had some clutch plate appearances this season.

Who would have expected the Red Sox to have an embarrassment of riches at the dish following the departure of longtime catcher Christian Vázquez at the previous trade deadline? 

More MLB: Red Sox's Chaim Bloom Fleeced Multiple Teams At Last Season's Trade Deadline

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Scott Neville
SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's "Boston Red Sox On SI." Before launching the site (formerly called Inside The Red Sox), Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer.  His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series," where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group (rebranded to On SI) in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Boston Red Sox On SI." Since then, he's added eight more regional sites with the company. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: scott@moreviewsmedia.com

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