Since making his MLB debut in 2023 Wilyer Abreu has established himself as one of the vital promising all-around outfielders in baseball. However by way of three large league seasons there’s one factor the 26-year-old nonetheless hasn’t completed, which is show he can hit left-handed pitching.
Subsequent 12 months, the Pink Sox hope that may change.
Talking to reporters on the MLB Winter Conferences in Orlando, each supervisor Alex Cora and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow indicated that they anticipate Abreu will get extra alternatives towards lefties in 2026.
“We have now to see if they will do it, it’s about that point. Particularly with Abreu,” Cora stated. “If he can hit lefties and if he can hit for energy and play protection the best way he’s completed the previous few years, he could be the man.”
“Wilyer is a extremely good participant, we’ve seen the best way he’s in a position to affect each side of the ball and he’s earned the proper to get some added runway versus left-handed pitching,” Breslow stated. “We really feel prefer it’s an adjustment he’s able to making, and he’s bought such a strong defensive ground that having him on the market as a rule goes to assist the general efforts of the group.”
Already a two-time Gold Glove winner, Abreu set new profession highs with 22 residence runs and 69 RBI regardless of taking part in solely 115 video games in 2025. However the overwhelming majority of Abreu’s injury offensively got here towards righties, with the left-handed hitter logging solely 68 plate appearances towards lefties whereas hitting one residence run with a .676 OPS. He hit 21 homers with an .808 OPS in 349 plate appearances towards righties.
These continued career-long tendencies for Abreu. For his profession the outfielder has posted a .589 OPS in 145 plate appearances towards lefties in comparison with an .827 OPS in 804 plate appearances towards righties.
A few of that discrepancy in taking part in time could be owed to the presence of Rob Refsnyder, who mashes lefties and has sometimes began towards southpaw starters, however Abreu’s lack of manufacturing towards lefties is among the many causes he’s been the odd man out as a substitute of Jarren Duran and Ceddanne Rafaela.
However with extra improvement and familiarity the Pink Sox hope Abreu can take the following step and turn out to be an each day stalwart, which might assist make Boston’s offense far more formidable even earlier than the membership makes any extra outdoors additions.
