When the Red Sox went out and signed Mitch Moreland over the winter, it was a one-year free agent deal for a good defensive first baseman with some pop who would sit against a left-handed starter.
What they did not truly bank on was signing one of the best pinch hitters in the major leagues.
With his game-winning, pinch-hit, two-out, two-run single Friday night against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park, Moreland cemented his status as being elite at what he does.
Given that the prototypical pinch-hitter is usually viewed as someone good at making contact, Moreland at first glance offers nothing in his resume to indicate that he’s good at this.