(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Henk Seppen)
 Xander Bogaerts named Team MVP by Boston Red Sox!
Nederlands
 BOSTON, Massachusetts (USA) -
Xander Bogaerts has been named Most Valuable Player of the 2015 season by the Boston Red Sox.
The Aruba-born short stop received his award on Thursday-evening (January 21) during the 77th annual Boston Baseball Writers Dinner.
Lefthanded pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez received the team's Rookie of the Year Award.
...Xander Bogaerts playing for the Netherlands Kingdom...
...Team during the 2013 World Baseball Classic...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
The 23-year old Bogaerts made his Major League-debut with the Red Sox in August 2013, played in 18 games and went to become the starting short stop when the team won the World Series later in the year.
2014 was his first full season in the big league.
Bogaerts then played in 144 games and batted .240 (129-for-538), including 28 doubles and 12 homeruns.
He scored 60 runs and batted in 46.
Last year, he set career-highs by playing in 156 games (missing only six games in the regular season), hitting .320 with 196 basehits in 613 at bats, including 35 doubles.
He scored 84 runs and had 81 runs batted in.
Only his homeruns were down, as he hit seven.
In 2015, Bogaerts led the team with his .320 batting average, 196 basehits and 613 at bats.
His 84 runs scored were second in the team behind Mookie Betts, who scored 92.
And his 81 RBI's were second behind veteran David Ortiz, who had 108.
His defensive skills has been outstanding last year.
In 2014, he committed 10 errors as a short stop in 404 chances, but also 10 as third baseman in 111 chances.
Last year, Bogaerts played the entire season as short stop and made only 11 errors in the entire season out of 676 chances to make a putout.
In October, he was named one of three finalists for the Gold Glove Award for short stops in the American League.
Also a finalist then was another Netherlands short stop, being Didi Gregorius, who then played in his first full season with the New York Yankees.
In November, Bogaerts won the Silver Slugger Award.
In 2011, Bogaerts was a member of the Netherlands National Team that captured the title at the World Championship in Panama.
In 2013, he was with the Orange squad when it reached the semi-final of the World Baseball Classic.
Boston won the World Series in 2013, but in the last two seasons, the team finished in last place in the American League East Division.
In the offseason, the BoSox added pitchers David Price and Craig Kimbrel, making them a contender again in the upcoming season.
(January 22)
Related Articles:
 Xander Bogaerts wins Silver Slugger Award. (November 12, 2015)
Bogaerts, Gregorius, Simmons finalists Gold Glove Awards. (October 29, 2015)
Xander Bogaerts scores winning run Boston in Game 5 World Series. (October 28, 2013)
Unique milestone for Xander Bogaerts in Boston-victory. (October 17, 2013)
Xander Bogaerts wins title with BoSox. (September 20, 2013)
First Major League HR Xander Bogaerts. (September 7, 2013)
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