MLB Players Power Rankings: Top 10 Hitters in Week-17
By Manny Gómez
MLB Players Power Rankings (2): Andrew Benintendi, Boston Red Sox
Week-17 Stats: 0.903 SLG | 0.573 wOBA | 265 wRC+ | 0.8 fWAR
Like Paul Goldschmidt before him, Andrew Benintendi was also having an underwhelming season compared to last year. In a season of juiced baseballs and career-highs, Beni has been flirting with career-lows across the board.
In week-17, however, Benintendi made his presence known and demonstrated to the baseball world what a scary thing the Boston Red Sox lineup can be if everything starts to click again. Last week, Benintendi had a staggering .573 wOBA and 265 wRC+ and was by far the best hitter had it not been for the top-dog on this list who just obliterated everybody.
With Beni’s rise in production, the Red Sox took three of four from the first-place New York Yankees and cut the division lead down to 9.0 games. The BoSox are also in a virtual tie with the 2nd place Tampa Bay Rays. What’s more, they’re just 1.0 game behind the Oakland Athletics for the Wild Card.
In hitting the way he did last week, Beni and the Sox put the fear of God in opponents. Like last year, the Red Sox don’t need their pitching to be top-notch in order to secure a World Series ring. Just don’t let the bats come alive.