Red Sox Prediction: Don’t rely on Christian Vazquez’s bat

Nobody questions Christian Vazquez’s defensive merit, but despite a fast start to 2017 the Boston Red Sox can’t trust his bat.

Oozing defensive talent and touting intangibles behind the plate that earned him the nickname “Mini Yadi” by teammate Joe Kelly, Christian Vazquez has been a frustrating case since he broke into the majors in 2014.

A .700 OPS away from being an MLB mainstay, Vazquez’s bat always lagged just a bit too far behind his defensive ability to justify an everyday role. He posted a .617 OPS in his rookie campaign before missing all of 2015 due to Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. In 2016, Vazquez came back to a .585 OPS in 57 games, not too far off from a typical NL…