Entering Thursday, Youkilis ranked among the American League top 10 in just about every offensive category including batting average, RBI, walks, slugging percentage, home runs, runs, on base percentage and on-base plus slugging.
MLB. Kevin Youkilis has taken ginormous steps in each of his three full Major League seasons.
Youk has improved every facet of his game, and as a result, All-Star recognition doesn’t seem like a stretch when considering his efforts over the first month of this season. With that in mind, it seems only appropriate that this season marks Youk’s first appearance among other American League first basemen on the All-Star Team ballot.
The Gold Glover has — because of injuries — shifted seamlessly between first and third base this season while making spectacular, mistake-free defense at both spots.
“He wins a Gold Glove at first, he goes to third and he plays a Major League-caliber third base,” said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. “You can hit him anywhere in the lineup. He works the count. He really has turned into a very good Major League player.
“It is appreciated. And you don’t have to run and check with him every day,” added Francona. “You just kind of throw his name in and he handles it. He just goes about his business.”
As evidenced by Francona’s proud words of praise, Youkilis isn’t an all-leather, no-wood kind of guy, and is again off to a promising start. Entering Thursday’s action, he’s hitting while hitting .317 with six home runs and 25 RBI through his first 34 games of the season.
Youkilis has consistently kept his batting average above .300 this season and has already played in five different spots up and down Boston’s batting order.
What bodes even better for both Youkilis and his Sox teammates is that the baseball calendar has turned to the month of May. Youk took his hot-hitting experience to obscene levels, as he hit .402 for the entire month of May last season to go along with six home runs and 22 RBI.
“He’s a solid bat,” said Sox third baseman Mike Lowell. “I don’t think he’s every going to change his approach whether he’s hitting first, second, third or fifth. He gives us a good at bat every time.”